A Hero's Song

Chapter 18

The next morning, I woke up from a dreamless sleep, kept safe and held close by Eddie Munson.

I was using his chest as a pillow, while his arms were wrapped around me loosely.

Last night's realization came hitting me once again when I looked up to admire his face. To be honest, it surprised me to have realized it this late. I knew I had it coming, and that it was only a matter of time before I knew for sure.

I smiled to myself when I reached over to push a strand of his hair out of his face. His mouth was slightly ajar, soft snores escaping every now and then. I made sure to remember every detail of him as if he's going to be taken away from me.

The lines around his eyes were nowhere to be seen now. They were a constant appearance when he's awake. The past weeks have aged him terribly. But it's like he gets renewed whenever he sleeps. Now, he just looks like some regular teenage boy who has the chance to finally sleep in after weeks and weeks of torment.

The weight of everything has been tiring Eddie down. He has taken just as much of baggage on his shoulders like the rest of us. Not to mention, he also has to carry the weight of being a suspect even when he's innocent.

Everything that's going on stripped the youth from his physique and demeanor. But right now, it's not the case.

He looked relaxed, and it's one of the few times he looked his age. I'm glad that in my arms, he's no fugitive on the loose. Right here, he's just Eddie Munson and right here he's safe.

The idea of me being his safe space made my heart melt. I wish we can stay like this for a long time. I wish we can just lay down like this, and maybe if we do it long enough, everything else will just get better on their own.

Maybe we don't have to do anything. Maybe everything will just fall into place and the next morning we wake up, he's no longer a falsely accused man. He can go back to being the Hellfire's Dungeon Master. He can go back to being his band's guitarist. He can go back to trying to finish his last year of high school.

He can go back to being my...well...best friend. We can start from there.

All those images of Eddie being in his happiest vanished the second a wave of radio static rang in the room.

I picked up the walkie-talkie that rested on my nightstand.

"This is Blue."

"Morning, sis." Steve greeted from the other end, "You up for a walk?"

"It's not even six in the goddamn morning, Steve."

"What better time to get those steps in, right?" he replied, and I can picture his stupid teasing grin on his face, "Meet you in 10."

I groaned when he didn't give me the chance to complain and cut the line off. 

I looked back at the sleeping man beside me, and try to wiggle out of his hold even though there is nothing else I want than to stay next to him. He groaned at first, but then turned his back on me the next. He's so out of it. Can't blame him, who knows when his last proper sleep was?

Finally free, I stood up from the bed and dressed up for this walk Steve wants to do. As I aimed for the door about to leave, I looked back to Eddie who was curled up in a ball, deep in his sleep.

I walked back to the bed and crouched down, "I'll be back later, sweetheart." I mumble, planting a kiss on his cheek.

~

Steve and I headed out while the rest of the people in the house are still asleep. He just made sure to set up another walkie-talkie downstairs where the rest of the gang camped and have left a note that we went out.