Vecna's Pawn || Eddie Munson

~Father~

"You? The sweetest guy I've ever met, dated Billy fucking Hargrove?!?" Steve questions in shock.

I just finished explaining everything to my friends, including the fact that I'm gay.

Im about to answer Steve but I am crushed in a desperate, but relieved hug. "I'm so glad you're okay." Max whimpers into my chest.

"I'd never leave you, Red." She pulls back and smiles while she wipes away her tears.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" She asks everyone. They all nod solemnly, as if they know something I don't.

"What is it, Red? You're scaring me." I tell her nervously.

Instead of answering me she takes an envelope out of her pocket and hands it to me. "While you and Eddie were outside, the rest of us came up with a plan..." She trails off unsure.

I give her a nod of encouragement to continue.

"I'm gonna bait Vecna to me." She blurts out. "I wanted to give you this letter just in case I don't make it."

I freeze. "Max..." I trail off. For once in my life I am utterly speechless.

"Hey," Max says comfortingly as she wipes away a tear from my face that I hadn't even realized had fell. "I'm not saying that I'm not gonna make it. All I'm saying is that we don't know what's gonna happen, and I don't want to leave anything unsaid." She explains, making me feel slightly better.

"I love you, Max." I make sure to tell her. "You're like a little sister to me. You are a little sister to me." I reassure.

"I know." She says while nodding.

We hug one last time before making our way back over to the group.

"Okay," I hear Steve's voice call out. "Aaron should help us kill Vecna since he's extremely powerful. Eddie and Dustin; You two will draw the bats away from us, alright? Lucas and Erica will stay with Max and make sure she doesn't die. Any questions?" He rambles.

"I have a couple hundred." I chime in.

They all look to me in surprise.

"Listen guys, I know Vecna on a personal level and I know that I'm not the only one he wants."

They look at me too n confusion. "What do you mean?" Lucas asks.

I hesitate before answering. "He wants revenge on Eleven. Eleven banished One to the upside down. That's how she opened the gate." I tell them.

"Wait..." Eddie butts in confused. "Why does he want you?" He asks me.

I stare back at him in fear of his reaction to what I'm about to say.

I look away, unable to face him as I mutter the truth that I had learned from invading the Flayers mind.

"Henry Creel is my father."

•••••

Max will die.

Aaron will fall

I can't let Max die.

I can't let Aaron fall.

They need me. I need to help my friends.

Im sorry Doctor Owens.

Goodbye, Papa.

I untangle my mind from El's for a moment. She knows we need her but that's not enough. I have to tell her how.

I reach into her mind once more.

"El?" I call out for her.

"Seven?" She calls back.

"The only way to defeat One is together, El. We're ten times stronger when there's two of us." I tell her before explaining my plan.

"I need you to find a way to piggyback off of Max so that we can both get into her mind to stop this thing, understand?"

She nods. "I understand."

"Good." I tell her. "I have to go now but remember the plan!"

I open my eyes and come face to face with Eddie.

"You know that none of us blame you for who your father is, right?" He encourages.

I nod slowly. "That may be true but just because they don't blame me, doesn't mean they don't fear me." I tell him, thinking back to the frightened look on Nancy's face as I told them all the truth.

"You should've seen the look on Nancy's face! Or the glare Lucas gave me!" I exclaim. "He knew it wasn't my fault but he still hates me! He hates me because my father was the one who cursed the girl he loves."

Eddie frowns at me. "Sinclair is a boy in love. You know what boys who are in love do?" He asks me and I shake my head. "They feel rage when something happens to the person they love and they snap; they get angry and they blame people who don't deserve the blame."

Eddie grabs my chin and lifts my face so that I'm looking at him. "Love makes people do crazy things, Wheeler."

I nod at him and give him a slight smile while reaching up to kiss him.

Something about this kiss is different. It's soft and gentle, but desperate at the same time.

"I-I'm not a hero." He says. "I'm not a hero because I'm not brave like you are, and sometimes I want to be brave but other times I look at you and it's like...like I wanna be selfish and do whatever it takes to stay alive, just to be with you."

I smile at the honesty in his tone. I reach up to kiss him but he stops me.

"I-I'm not done yet." He fumbles for a moment before continuing. "You are brave, Aaron. You will always be the hero and that scares me because I really don't want to lose you."

He takes a deep breathe. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that if even for a moment you get that feeling where you wanna be selfish and stay alive...don't hesitate. Stay alive, please. If not for yourself then for me." He finishes with a single teardrop resting on his face.

"I will," I say. "I'm not going anywhere, Eddie."

However, I know that's a promise I may not be able to keep.

I just hope for Eddie's sake that I can keep it.