The Break (An Eddie Munson Story)

Chapter 8: Leaving Mordor

A/N: The usual Author's Note is at the end of this chapter.

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Eddie's chest rose and fell rapidly as he finished speaking. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, making him feel light-headed and dizzy but he stood firm, watching you carefully for any hint of a reaction to his words. Realising that he had hot, frustrated tears pouring down his face, he roughly wiped them away with the sleeve of his jacket. Yeah, crying was definitely not his thing. He felt emotionally drained, was this how you had been feeling of late? No wonder you were so miserable and sick of it all.

Everything he had said, swirled around in your mind- too much to comprehend in such a short amount of time. Your thoughts kept circling back to the moment he had confessed his love for you. Although you had been friends for years, you had not dated long enough to reach the point of such honest confessions. For so long during your friendship, you had fantasised about hearing his say those words, preferably during a moment of quiet, where the world around ceased to exist and nothing but you and him mattered. Never for an instant had you wanted them said in the heat of argument. Especially one that had steamed from your own unwillingness to accept help, even when it was being freely offered, by those who cared so much about your existence.

You could not even bring yourself to look back up at him, for fear of what you would see reflected back at you. Sadness? Disappointment? Or maybe even worse, hope? Hope was a dangerous expectation to have, as it inevitably led to failure. So instead, you cast your gaze towards your friend Steve, who stood stoically nearby, too stunned by what he had heard to really offer any useful input.

It was no secret that he and Eddie did not really get a long. They were so different in personality, that they often clashed opinions but when it came to you, first the first time, they had actually agreed on something. Hearing what Eddie had so honestly confessed, made Steve view the other man in a whole new light. You could have even said that there was a hint of respect, not that he would ever admit it.

"I'm so tired, Steve." it was an admission, a whispered one at that. If Steve had not been looking directly at you and saw your lips move, he might had dismissed the quiet sound.

His expression softened into a knowing look. Not too long ago, after his run in with the upside down and the never-ending appearances of the demogorgon, he too had suffered with his mental health. Steve was well aware of what a toll depression, anxiety and all of those fun moods could take on a person and why it was so much easier to just push everyone away, rather than feel like a continuing burden to those around you. Except that little voice that was full of lies, in the back of one's mind, was just a malicious influence, that wanted nothing more than to prolong your suffering for its own selfish gain. It did not have your best interests at heart but those who loved you- who truly loved you- now, they wanted to see you thrive. If it had not been for Robin and the kids keeping an eye on him, well, Steve was sure that he would not have recovered quite so well from his ordeal.

"I know," he smiled sadly back at you, extending out a hand for you to take. "but you don't have to deal with all of this alone anymore. Let us take care of you this time. You've earnt it, Y/N. You deserve it." his expression implored you to put your hand in his and make the first step towards your recovery. Towards feeling more like yourself and less like a stain on society that required immediate removal.

Your reluctantcy kept you rooted to the spot, with your arms pinned firmly to your sides. Come on, you coaxed yourself, you can do this. It's Steve, you can trust him. He...he would not lie, friends did not lie, right?

The sensation of a hand slipping into yours, pulled you from your anxious thoughts. You looked down at your clasped palm and then back up to the encouraging brown eyes, that held not hint of disappointment in them, as you had earlier feared.

Leaning in close, you felt Eddie's breath tickle your neck, as he whispered, "'Courage is found in unlikely places.'" you instantly recognised the quote, it was by J. R. R. Tolkien. "Ready to return to the Shire?" he grinned slighty, in an attempt to put you at ease. The wattage was nowhere near as dazzling as his usual smiles but it was enough to prompt a shallow nod.

That was good enough for the brunet, as he tugged you in the direction of the video store. As you passed, Steve dropped his hand to his side and followed behind you both, glad that there had been a positive outcome to a very difficult situation.

All you hoped was that, you were indeed heading towards a life in the Shire and not just retracing your steps to Mordor.

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A/N: Hello! Thank you so much for your continued support. It's heartwarming to know that people are responding positively to my writing and the narrative so far. After this particular instalment, the reader is at a crossroads in their life, where their journey could go a variety of ways and I'm curious...what do you think is going to happen? Or maybe, what would you like to happen?