The Devil's Gift/The Bloody Handed

4: Rain That Feels Like Acid

After Eddie and I made up, we went back to the trailer. Everyone was talking and acting like nothing happened, which I was glad about. I give Steve a small smile and mouth "I'm sorry" to him as Eddie and I walk to the back room. He returns a slight smile back. I rub my eyes and sigh.

"Crazy, isn't it?" Eddie says.

I look to him and cock my head. "What's crazy?"

"This." He gestures between the two of us. "Boyfriend and girlfriend. In the most apocalyptic time in the world. That's what's crazy." He laughs. "And it took jealousy and yelling to make it happen. But I'm not complaining." He puts his hand on top of my hair and slides it down to the nape of my neck. I feel goosebumps and the hair on the back of my neck raise accordingly to his touch. My neck was so small his hand wrapped almost around to my throat. I look at him and stare at his lips. A part of me just wanted him. Him and him only. I wanted to get distracted, to get carried away and not think about what comes tomorrow. But I also knew you only live once- and before the Upside Down happened I didn't truly live in honestly. I lived in denial.

"Eddie.." I stare down at my hands. "Do you think we're gonna win this time?"

He looks at me, puzzled almost. "Yeah- of course I think we're going to win, hun." He kisses the top of my head, and rests his chin on top of it.

"Hun?" I look up and try not to laugh.

"Yeah, you don't like it? Or did you warm up to Sparky finally?" He grins.

"No, no.. it's neat. I like it."

"Good. Because we both know I'm not going to stop either way." He was right there. I can't count how many times I asked him to not call me Sparky.

"This doesn't mean you're off the hook with that name. This just means you have two names I can call you by." He winks.

I pick up my head and look at him, his hair covering his face. "Someone needs a brush." I say blowing hair out of my face.

"And you are not touching my hair." He says with a finger in my face.

Just you wait until I wake up one day and your hair looks like an Afro, Munson. Just you wait. I laugh to myself as he still gives me the "don't you dare look." I feel my eyes grow heavy as I breathe in his cheap musk.

"We need some sleep, eh?" He says rubbing my back.

I nod with a yawn. "Aren't we a little selfish for taking the bed?" I ask.

He looks at me and yawns. "Nah, the couches pull out into beds. They'll be fine. Dustin and Steve on one bed and Nancy and Robin on the other." He shrugs, slamming his back into the pillows and tucking his arms behind his head. "Besides, this bed is tiny. I think they lucked out with those pull outs." He lets out a stretch and flops his head to the side. I scoot towards him and lay my head onto his chest, sighing.

"We have to go back to reality tomorrow." I groan.

"Yeah. Unfortunately. But hey, we have each other now. We're both safe and sound. We know more now, so we aren't doing in blind."

"You're right." I say. "Let's just stay safe this time, yeah?"

He nods and kisses the top of my head. "Of course."