Vecna's Pawn || Eddie Munson

~Memories pt.1~

Aaron's POV:

I open my eyes.

Well, it opens my eyes.

The first thing I see is a the roof of a trailer, with a gate to the upside down on it.

I'm not in the right position to see what's on the other side but I can hear Dustin, Erica, Max, and Lucas all talking to the gate as if there are people in it.

Not to mention there's a makeshift rope hanging out from it.

The Mind Flayer decides to act like it's still asleep and closes my eyes.

I hear shuffling from the other side and I don't know what's happening until I hear a voice speak to me from above. "Hey, Aaron. It's me, Eddie. It would be really nice if you could tell us how to free you. No pressure." He says cutely. God, what is happening to me?

I can tell the Flayer is trying not to think about Eddie's request. It knows how to free me.

It must be afraid I'll see the answer through his mind.

I try to use my powers to reach further into his mind but I find nothing.

I'm struggling to hold on to hope when a voice appears in my head. "It's me. You've always known that the answer was me."

I have always known that. I just hoped it wasn't true.

"But you died." I tell him sorrowfully, with tears in my eyes.

"I did." He agrees. "But you don't have to."

I turn around to find him standing behind me in my subconscious. "What do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

He gives me a thoughtful look before smiling softly in my direction. "I've missed you, Aaron."

I sniffle. "I've missed you too, Billy."

His face turns serious again. "Will made it out with heat, but you and I are too strong for that." He explains. "I made it out with help from Eleven. Right before I died, she got through to me."

My eyes widen in realization. "S-so what do I do?" I ask hesitantly.

He gives me a knowing look. "You reach for him."

I look at him in confusion.

"Don't give me that look, Aaron. I'm always watching you guys. I see the way you look at him. You love him." He says and a single tear escapes from my eye.

"I do." I confirm.

"Good." He says while giving me a beautiful half smile. "You deserve to be happy, Aaron. After everything that I put you through...you deserve Eddie."

I wipe my tears away and look him dead in the eye. "Billy Hargrove, you are a massive dick." I begin and his eyes widen, clearly not expecting that. "But I love you and I forgive you. I will never stop loving you, even when I'm back in Hawkins, loving Eddie."

He smiles once more. "I love you too, Aaron. I'm sorry I didn't show it."

I go up to him and wrap my arms around him.

"One more thing." He says urgently. "Tell Max that I love her, and that I heard her letter that day in the graveyard. Tell her I was worried when she got cursed?" He tells me, although it sounded more like a question. "I just need her to know that I cared." He whispers, his voice cracking slightly.

"I will." I tell him and that's when I feel it open my eyes.

"THIS IS MUSIC!!!" I hear Eddie's familiar voice from a different room. I want nothing more than to go to him but the Mind Flayer has other plans.

My body starts leading me to the trailer door. Once the Flayer opens the door, it sprints outside, only to be tackled to the ground by a body.

The body flips me over and I come face to face with Eddie Munson. "Nice try, Mind Flayer but I'm not letting you keep him." He states passive aggressively.

My heart flutters.

"Reach out for him."

I remember Billy's words and try to will my arm to move up and touch his face. Nothing happens.

I try once more and this time I start to feel something.

"Can I be honest with you?" Eddie asks me.

"Well I wouldn't want you to to lie." I joke in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"I don't like when you say that." He says, ignoring my poor attempt at humour. "The thought of you dying makes me feel weird and at first I hated that because I was supposed to hate you, but now I like you. You're a good person Aaron. Im sorry for not seeing that earlier."

"Thank you." I tell him sincerely. "It means a lot."

He's the most accepting person I've ever met. I think I knew I didn't hate him the moment those words came out of his mouth. I think I didn't hate him earlier than that.

He covers his hurt face with an indifferent mask. I scream at him not to listen. I yell that I'm sorry. I shout that I didn't mean it. It doesn't matter. He never hears me.

"Fine," he says, his voice trying not to break. "If that's really how you feel then fuck you!" He shouts at me before storming off to the shed.

I feel empty. I never knew how much I needed Eddie by my side, until he was gone.

This, I think to myself. This is what hopelessness feels like.

I hurt him badly. My words cut him deep, even if they weren't my own.

For some reason he still came back. He's still on top of me, not giving up. I love him so much.

"So...you have superpowers??" He asks me incredulously.

"Yeah," I tell him. "Just the basic telekinesis and mind reading thing." I say, trying my best not to sound too proud of it.

"Just!?" Eddie questions loudly. "Oh yeah, my name is Aaron and I have superpowers I learned to control in a secret lab but it's just sooo basic." Eddie mimics me.

I laugh. It's such a genuine laugh that it scares me.

I haven't been genuinely happy since Billy, and even then, with the abuse and harshness that came with him, I never was truly happy.

He made me laugh.

I loved...I love that about him.