#they're always eating lunch together! and when they're not in the lunchroom they're BOTH gone | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

prettyinaballgown · 1 year

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what about eddie x autistic!reader who uses sign language when shy or uncomfortable. As someone who doesn't always have their words about them, I think that this is an underrated idea!

Sure! (This is my first fic *and* my first ask so I'm a little nervous but I'll do my best!)

tw: light cursing

The lunchroom at Hawkins High was crowded, as usual. Teenagers crowded around tables, trading gossip and drama as loudly as they possibly could. Popular kids and cheerleaders stood by the tables closest to the center, mocking underclassmen's clothes and trading expensive face powders and mascara.

Any other day, Eddie would have his eyes on his oppressors, mocking them and the way they conformed exactly to stereotypes, allowing no room for personality, for themselves or for anyone else. He would yell mocking, silly insults at them from on top of the lunch table, at least until a teacher chaperone came and told him to knock it off. Any other day, maybe, but not today. Eddie was introducing you to his friends.

He walked down the hallway towards the lunchroom, slowly, his eyes on you.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked. "We could always just eat out in the east hallway, like we've been doing."

Eddie knew you didn't like loud, overstimulating environments and ever since you had started dating, he did his best to give you quiet company away from everyone else, when you needed it.

You nodded your head. Eddie had been so kind to you, hanging out with you when you were lonely when he could have been with his friends. It was only last week that you had suggested you both eat at his table so he could spend time with you and his friends. He had agreed immediately, but he was concerned that the noises and the amount of people would be too much for you.

I don't want to make you uncomfortable, love, he had said softly. I'd rather you be happy.

I'll be fine, you had answered. But now you weren't so sure.

The loud noises pulsing from the lunchroom immediately made you want to cover your ears. Your hands twitched up towards your head slightly, but you didn't allow them to reach up to your head. Eddie turned his head and smiled softly, reaching into his pocket.

"Ah," he said. "I've got something for that." He pulled out a pair of soft doughy buds that were squeezable and expanded slowly. You looked at them, confused.

"They're earplugs," he explained. "Block out, uh, background noise. I have different kinds that I use for soundchecks and concerts and just guitar in general."

You took one of them out of his hand and tried pushing it into your ear, but it immediately fell out. You stomped your foot, annoyed.

"Hey, it's okay, love, it takes practice. You just sort of have to-" he squeezed it tightly from the top down, and looked at you. "May I?"

You nodded. He gently tilted your head to the side, inserting the earbud. It expanded slowly in your ear and you twisted your head, intrigued by the new sensation.

"And the other one-" he said, adjusting his place and inserting the other earbud. He grinned at you. "What do you think?"

Your eyes widened in amazement. You could hear Eddie perfectly clearly, but the loud background noise from the cafeteria was all but gone.

"I picked out those ones because they're your skin color, so people probably won't say anything." He scowled. "Popular kids can be such pricks. I mean honestly, you should see the way some of them act."

You smiled at him and took his hand, loving the butterfly rush that came with being with him. He fell silent, watching your hands move together.

As you finally approached the lunch room, he gave you one more concerned glance. "You absolutely sure?"

You gave his hand a squeeze to reassure him. "Yes," you said quietly. "I want to do this with you."

He smiled and blushed, looking down. You blushed too, enjoying the energy flowing between you two.

You stepped into the lunch room together, heading towards a table near the corner where a group of boys sat, some of them wearing the Hellfire Club shirt that you knew was the name of Eddie's DND club. One of the boys at the table, a curly brown-haired kid caught Eddie's eye and nudged his friend, a sallow-cheeked boy with black hair.

Eddie led the way to the table without pulling you, and gave the two boys friendly cuffs on the shoulder. The other people at the table looked up from their food, giving him their full attention. You smiled slightly. Your new boyfriend was quite the team leader.

He looked at them all, an almost giddy look on his face. "So you guys know that I haven't been here as often-"

"Yeah, where have you been, man?" asked one of the guys sitting there. "We haven't seen you in forever!"

Eddie shot him a glance and the guy quieted down quickly and went back to picking at the school food.

"Well, actually," Eddie said, looking down at his shoes. "I, um, sort of found a partner."

The boys eyes widened simultaneously, glances transferring over to you. Eddie grimaced, suspecting the eye contact would make you uncomfortable, so he moved closer to you and spoke again, redirecting the boys' eyes back to him.

"Everyone, this is (Y/n). They're my partner as of three weeks and two days. But they're a little bit sensitive to sounds and eye contact so if you guys could just...be kind, that would be great."

The boys looked at each other, smiling and shrugging. "Sure," the curly haired boy said, smiling at you.

"Alright, cool," Eddie said, looking down at you, his face bright with happiness. "(Y/n), I'd like you to meet Jeff and Gareth-" he pointed to two upperclassmen guys who had apparently gotten over the shock of seeing me and were now playing rock paper scissors,"-and Dustin and Mike." Dustin waved happily at me. Mike smiled.

I smiled at Eddie. His friends seemed as nice and as weird as him, and I hoped I would fit in amongst them. I took a seat next to Eddie and joined my hand with his, drawing circles in his palm as he talked about his fantasy game with his friends.

After about twenty minutes, the table started getting louder. Jeff and Gareth were arguing about a concept in magic, and Dustin and Mike were playing a very heated game of table football with Eddie. The table behind us was getting louder too and I suddenly felt the pressure of too much eye contact in too little time.

I tapped Eddie on the shoulder, and he immediately stopped what he was doing and turned his body towards me in a protective way.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

I opened my mouth to speak but the words felt gone. He gestured with his hands and I faced him a bit to give him a clearer view.

Loud, I signed. People.

He nodded, a look of understanding crossing over his face. "I get it," he whispered. "It's a lot for me sometimes too. Do you need to leave?"

Yes.

"Okay," he whispered back. "All right guys," he said raising his voice. "I'm gonna go get my stuff from my locker early so I'm not late for O'Donnell's."

"Okay," Dustin and Mike said simultaneously. Jeff and Gareth both nodded almost imperceptibly.

Eddie took my hand and led me calmly across the floor. We made our way to the east locker hallway, where both of our lockers were and once it was quiet, I pulled out the earbuds.

Eddie pulled me into a quiet hug. I breathed in his scent slowly. He kissed me on the forehead and pulled back a little, looking slightly over my shoulder to provide me relief from eye contact.

"Thank you," he said. "That was so fun."

"Did I do okay?" I whispered.

"Oh, love," he whispered back. "You did amazing."

#eddie my love <3 #eddie x y/n #eddie stranger things #eddie x you #autism #neurodiversesquad #neurospicy #eddie munson #eddie my love

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