Partners in Crime-Eddie Munson x OC

Chapter 13

My eyes opened blearily when sun started shining in at my face. I squinted and started to get up until I remembered I was still in Eddie's arms.

"Morning, sunshine," He chuckled at seeing my messy hair and dazed expression.

"Morning, Ed," I mumbled. "How are you so...awake?"

"Well, it's almost noon, princess," He smirked. "Besides, couldn't sleep."

"Everything okay?" My eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, just some nightmares. Don't worry about it, Hel," He kissed the top of my head sweetly.

As much as I loved his causal little gestures of affection, they wouldn't distract me this time. "Maybe I want to worry about it because I worry about you. You can talk to me if something's bothering you."

He was silent for a moment. "I just can't stop seeing her like that."

He mumbled the words, but I understood them clearly. He sounded so pained by what he was seeing and it broke my heart. I hated that he'd gotten mixed up in this. Eddie wasn't a killer, but that's how everyone would see it. All he wanted was to graduate high school and get out of here, and now he was hiding out in a boathouse because this town is fucking possessed or some shit.

"I'm sorry. I know that won't fix any of this, but I am." I burrowed deeper into him and held him.

I couldn't help but feel useless. Max wouldn't talk to me about Billy and held her grief in alone. Susan worked and drank, less than when I first got here, but still an unhealthy amount. Eddie was terrorized by the horrible things he'd witnessed. I was supposed to be here to help, but I hadn't been able to do a single thing.

That's why I vowed to protect them. All of them. My friends, my family, my...whatever Eddie was to me, I'd keep them all safe no matter what.

In all of our distraction, we didn't even notice the car pull up or the footsteps toward the boathouse. Before we could move from our entwined position, the door swung open, revealing Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Max.

"Delivery service!" Dustin noticed us lying next to each other. "Wait a damn minute..."

"I knew you guys were together!" Max shouted victoriously.

"So you finally mustered up the courage to bone Munson? Our baby grew up, Steve," Robin grinned.

My face heated. "We weren't! We didn't! Um..."   Why couldn't I just finish a damn sentence?

Thankfully, Dustin stepped in to save my ass. "Doesn't matter right now. We've got other things to discuss."

That couldn't be good. "What's up?"

"So, we've got some good new and some bad news. How do you prefer it?" Dustin looked between me and Eddie.

Eddie shot me a questioning glance and I nodded, causing Robin to whisper to Steve, "Look, they even have silent conversations now."

I shot her a dirty look and grabbed the box of honeycomb cereal they'd brought us.

I held the box to Eddie and he took a handful before telling Dustin, "Bad news first, always."

"All right. Bad news," Dustin took a breath. "We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you two. Also, they're pretty convinced you killed Chrissy and Helena helped you."

"Like 100% kind of convinced," Max added, giving me a worried glance.

"And the good news?" I chuckled nervously.

"Your names haven't gone public yet," Robin said. "But if we found out about you then it's only a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is going to be gunning for you."

"Hunt the freak, right?" Eddie rasped. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, not caring what remarks that earned us from our friends.

"Exactly," Robin nodded gravely.

"Shit," Eddie cursed under his breath.

Dustin, somehow, still looked optimistic. "So before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove you guy's innocence."

"That's all, Dustin? That's all?" You mocked, tension weighing on your shoulders.

"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it."

"Listen, Eddie, Helena," Robin interrupted before I could throttle Dustin. "I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually gone through this before. I mean they have a few times," Steve nodded as Robin went on, "and I have once. Mine was more human flesh based and theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is collectively I think we really got this."

"Yeah, see we usually rely on this girl who has superpowers, but uh those went bye-bye, so.." Steve trailed off, but Robin picked back up.

"So we're kind of in more of the..."

"Brainstorming phase," Max finished as the two stumbled over words.

"There's...there's nothing to worry about," Dustin assured us, despite Steve's scoff.

Eddie gave him an "are you serious" look, and I mirrored the action. If that was supposed to be reassuring, they failed.

Sirens started wailing in the back ground and I jumped. Everyone looked around in a panic.

"Tarp! Tarp!" Robin pointed at the tarp behind Eddie and I on the boat.

He grabbed one side of it and flung the tarp over us both as we ducked down. The rest of the group rushed to the window.

I don't think I breathed again until Dustin spoke.

"They kept going. False alarm."

"Fuck," I exhaled and relaxed my previously tensed limbs.

We scooted the tarp back and sat up.

"We've got to go look into some things. If we want to stop Vecna, we need to know how he kills people and why. You two stay here, obviously. We'll be back soon with more supplies." Dustin looked around as the four of them nodded in agreement.

"We can't just sit here forever though, right? Eventually someone is going to check and find us. Then what? Run like hell and pray they don't catch us?" I looked at all of them.

"We need to figure out a way to clear your names or get you out of here. Something. I don't know, Helena, we'll figure it out." Steve shrugged and gave you his best reassuring smile.

"Okay," I nodded with a quiet sigh.

They were about to leave, when I hopped out of the boat and crushed Max in a tight hug.

"Be careful, Max. Please. If anything happens to you...you're like my sister, okay? And I just can't lose you." I whispered.

I'm not sure why, but I had a really bad feeling nagging me. Something seemed more wrong than normal, aside from the whole "wanted for murder thing." I just couldn't figure out what it was.