Waiting Room | A Stranger Things Story - Eddie Munson | VOLUME II

Everywhere | Part XIII

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 | 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈

𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍'𝐓 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇 for the remainder of the evening into the morning. We stayed tangled up in one another until inevitably our time ran out.

He laid on my chest, gripping my rips and I would draw circles on the side of his temple with my thumb. Occasionally he would tap out the rhythm of my heartbeat on my wrists, letting me know he was still there.

We stayed in a comfortable silence mostly. We didn't really need to speak, we were more than likely thinking the same things.

We endured the absolute unbearable in the times we had spent together, but we wore it well.

But I couldn't help but think about how significantly cruel it was for us to have to evolve as people without one another.

Making Eddie hate me made it easier to leave. Knowing maybe that hatred would grow into the strength to go out into the world and do something meaningful, to live all the different lives he wouldn't have gotten to live in Hawkins.

This time it was pure love and sadness. And it was almost like a sinkhole had opened up inside of me.

And once again, as it always does when you want it to the least. The sun rose. And it was another day.

'I should get going, Eddie.' I sighed, feeling the weight of his body collapse into me further.
'I kinda wanna make it back before it starts getting dark.' I continued, moving strands of hair from his face as I craned my neck to lock down at him.

'Okay.' He said, shifting his body away from me and laying next to me. Looking on as I clambered out of the bed to collect my clothes from the floor.

I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling my black tailored pants up over my legs as I removed the shirt he had given me yesterday. Feeling the air against my bare skin. I placed it down gently next to me as I replaced it with the white crew neck T-shirt I had arrived in, tucking it into the waistband of my trousers as I stood up to button them.

'Have you got everything you need?' He asked, he was leaning up in bed, still fully clothed from the evening before, propped up to the side on his elbow as his eyes followed me around the room.

'I mean, I didn't really bring anything. But yeah, I'm all set.' I smiled, pushing my hair behind my ear to smile at him reassuringly.
'Oh, here.' I said, picking up the Eddie's T-shirt as I reached out to hand it back to him.

'No, keep it. You can have it.' He said.

I nodded in understanding, as I gripped it tightly against my chest like a lifeline.

'And you've got enough gas and everything like that?' He asked, hauling himself up from the bed and wandering over to me.

'I'm sure I'll have to top up at some point but it should last a couple of hours.' I shrugged.

'Will you call me, as soon as you get back?' He asked, placing his hand on my upper arm and stroking his thumb against it.

'Of course.' I giggled.
'And then I'll probably hang up and call you again, and again.' I said, offering him a somber smile.

'Okay, sounds good.' He nodded.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I could feel a lump begin to creep back into my throat, my eyes beginning to well. I squinted them shut tight in the hopes that the tears would stop.

'Hey.' Eddie said, soothingly.
'Don't. It's gonna be okay, remember?'

'No, I know it is.' I gasped, looking down at the floor.
'Maybe - it won't be so bad if I moved out here after all. I was kinda toying with the idea and the logistics of it, it's pretty feasible.' I said, my voice merely a whisper.