ATTACHED ~ eddie munson

eight

I woke up the next morning all of a sudden, when Eddie pulled off the tarp alarmed at the tire squeals coming from outside the shed. He ran up to the window like a maniac.

"What's wrong?" I said groggy and half asleep, considering the multitude of nightmares I had waking me throughout the night.

"Shit." Eddie said under his breath, which I had assumed was his language for 'sorry for waking you'. Then the door flew open, "JESUS CHR-"

"Delivery service!" Said one of the four heads that suddenly popped through the doorway. Steve waved and Eddie sighed and offered out his palm to help me out of the boat.

I yawned, "What a gentleman." He smiled. Dustin set down two bags of various snack foods on a work bench and Eddie and I exchanged eager glances at each other then began raiding the bags like wild raccoons. He pulled a box of cereal out and I grabbed a hiker-sized bad of trail mix.

"You always know what to get me, huh, Robin?" I nudged her and smiled.

"Yeah I know you like the back of my hand." She smiled back and rose her eyes gesturing towards Eddie.

We had a telepathic communication and I could tell from the way she was wiggling her eyebrows that she was suggesting Eddie and I's evening alone together.

Shut up. I mouthed, and sat below the boat, where Eddie sat inside, above me.

As Eddie munched on his cereal and I picked out the raisins from the bag and set them aside, the group gathered around us. Dustin started, "So we got uh... some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer?"

I looked up at Eddie, and then we both nodded in agreement, "Bad news first." He said surely.

"Always." I followed.

Dustin explained how the cops had they're focus mostly on Eddie, and how they were 100% convinced he had killed Chrissy.

"And we also heard them suspecting... you, Kat." Max looked at me.

"Yeah some cops we're doubtful, but they thought since you went AWOL it was just kind of weird... but don't worry! I totally covered for you. I told your parents you were staying at my place because you didn't feel safe with a killer on the loose. Also Carter's doing fine, he was drawing with chalk when we stopped by." Robin rambled.

"Robin, not right now?" Steve rubbed his temples.

"Right, sorry, didn't mean to call you a killer." She apologized to Eddie.

He blinked, "And the good news?"

"You're names haven't gone public yet, but if we found out about you it's only a matter of time before others do too. And once that gets out everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you." She said.

"Hunt the freak, right?" He said sharply.

"Exactly."

"Shit." We both whispered.

"So before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence."

"That's all, Dustin? That's all?" Eddie rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! That's pretty much it." Dustin replied.

Robin continued to explain their past experiences with these kinds of weird phenomenons. And Steve added more on a girl with super powers who apparently lost them or something? I don't know they lost me, and I could tell Eddie was too caught up in his own shit to comprehend. But they assured us in a not-so-assuring way that everything was going to be fine and that we'd figure this out together.

Then the sound of sirens manifested from far away, "Tarp, tarp, tarp!" Robin helped me inside the boat where Eddie and I found ourselves once again in darkness.

The group ran over to the windows and the sirens nearing us stung my ears and I got the feeling Eddie felt the same, although I couldn't see him, I could feel him shaking. I searched around the boat for his hand, without thinking he grabbed and squeezed my hand in his, it kind of hurt like hell, but I squeezed his back, letting him know everything was going to be okay.

"It's not for us." Dustin sighed with relief.

"Shit, we gotta go, c'mon." Max ran out to the car.

I pulled the tarp off, Steve grabbed Dustin who was reaching for a snack, he caught a glimpse of Eddie and I's hands interlocked and white-knuckled. "Let's go, pork chop." He grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"Very hurtful, Steve. We're going to talk about this in the car." Dustin pointed a finger at him and headed out the door.

"Yeah yeah, hurry up." He rolled his eyes and motioned Robin to follow them.

"Be safe guys!" I called out. Robin saluted, Steve nodded, and Dustin and Max waved from inside the car.

They drove off and Eddie stood up to close the door, but his hand pulled me up with him.

"Shit, sorry." He quickly let go and wiped his sweaty hand on his jeans.

"It's ok," I got off the boat. "I do have to ask you a favor though for almost breaking my hand." I smiled.

"And what can I do for the fair maiden at an impeccable time like this?" He raised his eyebrows.

"You wanna get high?" I shrugged.

He looked at me blankly, then opened the door again and ran out towards his van, enthusiasm radiating from him.

I smiled at the sight, but the bittersweet moment was cut short when another headache punched my thought process. "Fuck!" I whispered.

Eddie returned with his famous little lunchbox, but his smile immediately dropped when he saw me. "Kat, your nose-"

"Oh, yeah it happens." I dabbed a finger on my upper lip and felt warm blood dripping from it.

"Here let me," He pulled out his black handkerchief and held my face with one had as he wiped my nose with the other.

His focus had me lost in his eyes, he stared straight at me with so much intent and care. He stuck out his tongue as some do when they're focused on a task and it made me smile.

"There, all clean." He stuffed the fabric back in his back pocket.

"Ew, you're really gonna keep that? Even covered in my blood?"

"My blood too! Aw don't tell me you already forgot about when you did critical damage to my beautiful face." He acted out the scene and fell dramatically to the ground.

"Oh trust me I will never forget that." I laughed. "I guess we gotta make a blood pact now."

"We must!" He said in a English accent and held out his hand. We shook hands, but before letting go I said my terms of the pact.

"No dying on me, ok?" I gripped him tightly.

"You can count on it." He chuckled nervously, "No dying on me either." He squeezed my hand quickly, like a pulse of promise.

"You got it." I squeezed his hand back.

We stared at each other momentarily until I looked at the metal lunchbox he had set aside, he followed my gaze, "Oh right!" he pulled out a small bag of weed and rolling paper. He rolled a single blunt and handed it to me, he pulled out his lighter and held it up. "You do the honors, take the first hit."

I smiled and placed it on my lips reaching my neck out for him to light the end. My headache faded with each second I inhaled. After a relief-filled exhale and a couple coughs, I passed it to him where he did the same, I saw the anxiety and worry melt from his face, he just looked like Eddie again.