Always and Forever (YN x Eddie Munson - Stranger Things S4)

Chapter Thirty-Five

You spent that last day with Eddie, just talking. You talked about everything that you felt or might feel in the near future. What you wanted your lives to look like and who you wanted to be in them. Or out of them. 

The next day you had to pack everything you brought to the trailer and go back to your parent's house. You couldn't believe how much you missed them and were practically bursting at the seams to tell them everything. Now that Nick was officially in custody, it was like a weight leaving your shoulders. You walked with your chin higher and did worry about running into him every time you went somewhere. 

Of course, it was all over the news, pretty much as soon as you crossed the thresh-hold you were bombarded with questions about your apparent ex by everyone but your mother. She sat silently in the living room, not even glancing behind her after the initial hugs and "welcome home"'s. 

You came over to the Laz-E-Boy in your living room to talk to her. What you were going to say exactly? You weren't sure, but you had to say something. 

As soon as you were in her peripheral she asked "Did I do something, as a mother, that made you feel you couldn't talk to me about this?" She didn't sound mad or disappointed. She sounded sad like she'd failed at something huge. 

"Mom," You said, coming in front of her and taking both her hands in your own. She was crying "You didn't do anything." 

You were unsure of how to properly convey all the things you needed to say to her in a coherent sentence. "I thought it was my fault, what happened. I didn't say anything because I thought it was mine and mine alone to fix." 

"Honey I need to know why you felt unsafe in our home." She said and closed her eyes, trying to gain back some composter "I need to know why a stranger's house was better than this one."

You had told them why you wanted to stay away when you first went to Eddie's trailer. But it was clear that the situation was vastly different now. 

You ended up having the twins go to their room and sat down with your father. This was going to be one of the hardest things you'd ever have to tell either of them. You started at the beginning, that you'd been seeing Nick for some time but it was abusive from the start, that Eddie saved you, how scared you were the whole time until the relief of his arrest hit you. 

You even told them about the fight you had with Eddie but that you'd made up. You left out the part about having two jobs since one of them wasn't even final, but they were excited for your waitressing gig. 

There were many tears when you finished, mostly from your mother. You told her over and over not to blame herself, that in some way or another, this was going to happen. 

"Well," She said through sniff "All I can say is that I'm so, so proud of you. You have a really amazing group backing you up, kid. I'd hold onto them for as long as you can." 

You look down and smile, remembering everything Robin, Steve, Eddie, and everyone else has done for you. It truly was amazing that you had all managed to get him in custody so quickly. 

-~-~-~-~ The Next Day, First Day Back ~-~-~-~- 

You looked yourself up and down in the mirror. 

You looked so different from the last time you even woke up in this house. Your green hair wasn't as vibrant as when you first did it and somewhere along the way you'd changed out your jewelry to be a deep red. It was weird seeing your strange hair and peirced face in the clothes of a cheerleader. Or at least a girl who used to be one. 

Everything was bright and pastel, nothing like the way you'd been dressing as of late. You found the darkest clothes you could after seeing the awkwardness of you wearing a baby pink tennis set. You found the ripped tights Eddie had gotten for you and a Metallica t-shirt that you swiped from his room before leaving last night. You were excited to be back in school, but not in the way you thought you would be.