Stranger Things - Imagines (Book 2)

Eddie Munson x Reader - You Gotta Be

A/N - this chapter was inspired by the song You Gotta Be by Des'ree. I hope you all enjoy it.

When Eddie had walked into your home after an extra long shift at work, he had been expecting to find you exactly where you usually were. It had become a pretty common sight to find you curled up on the couch under a blanket, some shitty sitcom playing on the tv, your eyes just about dropping shut until they landed on him, and your entire face would lighten at the view in front of you.

Tonight, however, you weren't in your usual spot, replaced instead by Wayne, slumped into the couch cushions with a newspaper fallen open across his knees.

"Wayne?" Eddie murmured, brow furrowing slightly. "What are you doing here, man?" He pressed, moving further into the house to drop his keys on the little side table you'd added when he'd lost his keys somewhere in the house a total of  6 times within the first 3 weeks of living here.

"Came to pick up that wrench you borrowed last week," Wayne uttered, folding the paper closed and discarding it onto the cushion beside him.

Eddie still looked pretty confused as he toed off his shoes, pushing them to the side of the room, out of the way. "Could you not find it?"

"When I got here, Y/N looked like she was on the verge of a total meltdown, and your little Hellion was screaming something awful," Wayne grumbled, pushing up to his feet with a huff. "Took him off her hands and just about got him to settle down for the night. Told her to take some time and relax, and that I'd stick around until you got back to deal with the little monster if he woke up again."

Eddie nodded. "Where is she?"

"Bathroom," he answered, shaking his head. "I swear that kid knows when she's at her most worn down and chooses that exact moment to be as loud and miserable as he can physically manage."

"Yeah, it's like he can sense it, or something," Eddie murmured. "Thanks for sticking around, Man. I know it means the world to Y/N-"

"Ah," Wayne interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "He's my grand-baby," he muttered. "I love the kid, even when he's being a waking nightmare," he pressed on.

"Well, thanks anyway," Eddie hummed, smiling softly at his uncle as he headed for the door.

"Tell that wife of yours to call me next time the kid's getting to her like that. Poor girl needs a break from time to time."

"Will do, Uncle Wayne," Eddie called after him, listening as he grumbled his way back down the driveway towards his truck.

He released a soft sigh when he pressed the door shut. In all honestly, Eddie didn't understand how you coped as well as you did. With the kiddo hitting his terrible twos, he was getting really good at throwing fits, and as much as you plastered on a smile when Eddie came home, he knew that you struggled with it from time to time.

He tapped lightly on the bathroom door when he approached.

"I'll be right out-"

"Can I come in, Princess?" Eddie interjected, waiting patiently for just a second before turning the doorknob and peering through the gap, finding you sitting in the tub, surrounded by steaming water and a cloud of bubbles. "Hey," he added softly, watching your expression soften into a small smile. "Little man's been a handful today, huh?" He pressed on, walking into the room, leaving the door propped open so that he could keep an ear out for any stirring from the baby's room.

"He's teething," you mumbled, practically purring when he moved to kneel beside you, his fingers lifting to rub at your scalp delicately. "So, obviously, he spent the entire day crying and even when he wasn't crying he was fussing over something, and he wouldn't take a nap, even though he clearly needed it," you pressed on, letting out a gentle sigh and leaning into his touch.

"Have you eaten yet?"

Your brow furrowed slightly at the question. "Had a sandwich at lunch," you answered, still looking pretty confused. "And a handful of grapes that he rejected at dinner," you added.

"Right," he hummed softly, leaning in to kiss your lips quickly. "You stay here. Relax. I'll sort dinner and then we can put on a movie and I might even let you fall asleep on the couch."

You released a soft hum of happiness when he leaned in again, letting his lips linger against yours. "Thank you," you breathed against him, letting your eyes drop closed as you leaned back against the tub, your head tipping over the edge.

"Hey," he hummed again, watching as your eyes peeled open to gaze up at him. "Thank you for being here. I know it isn't always easy-"

"It's worth it," you interjected. "God, I know it probably sounds stupid, but when he gets all giggly and sweet, I basically forget that the tantrums are even a thing," you confessed. "And when he wrinkles up his nose in the same way you do when you're being all goofy, it wipes my brain completely."

He chuckled slightly, shaking his head. "Yeah, we got real unlucky when he came out looking like me; knew you'd never be able to tell him no from the second he opened his eyes."

"Not my fault your genes are so strong," you teased. "And not my fault you taught him how to do the puppy-dog eyes the second he was old enough to copy you."

He pressed a quick kiss to your forehead before pushing up to his feet. "Yeah, he kid's going to have you wrapped around his little finger for the rest of our lives."

"Yeah," you agreed softly, reaching up to tangle your fingers with his. "I won't be long. Just 5 more minutes," you hummed. 

"Take your time, Princess. You deserve the rest."

You pressed a kiss to his knuckles before releasing him, letting your eyes drop closed again as you relaxed.

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