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The grey spores circled around in the air as you sat with Eddie. The Demobats apparently had quite a thing for your boyfriend, and you and Steve had been able to battle them off for long enough for the pack of you five to find solace in a patch of decrepit woods. However, letting your guards down in the Upside Down was a bad idea, and you had turned just in time to see Eddie get slashed in the side by one of the bat's talons.
He had folded immediately, grabbing at his wound and crying out in a mixture of shock and pain. You had screamed his name- "Eddie!" you cried, not entirely sure of the reason, other than gut reaction- and you had run to him and dropped to your knees. Somewhere distantly, you were aware of Steve absolutely annihilating the Demobat, but your entire focus was on Eddie and his wound. His white shirt was quickly darkening with blood, and you ripped off the bottom of your own shirt and pressed it to his wound.
"Eddie, shit," you hissed, your fingers becoming slick with his blood. "Are you okay? Does anything else hurt?"
"No, no," Eddie told you. "Just the gaping hole in my side, that's all."
You rolled your eyes as your boyfriend weakly laughed. "You're bleeding a lot," you mumbled, and Nancy fell to her knees beside you.
"Shit!" she exclaimed. "Keep pressure on it, we're looking for some kind of shelter. Hang in there, Eddie."
"Doin' what I can," Eddie told her as she rose again, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw the bleakness in his eyes. Usually, his eyes were so wide and bright, full of life and excitement, but you could see it: he was quickly fading.
"Eddie?" you whimpered. You couldn't control the shake in your voice as you rested your hand on Eddie's cheek and turned his face to look at you, and you bit your lip hard at the distant look in his eyes. "Shit. If you die, I'm gonna kill you, Munson."
"I'm not gonna die," Eddie said, but even you could see how much faith he had in that. "Suffer a lot, maybe, but not die... Fuck, it's hard to be funny."
"Then don't be, sweetheart," you told him. You brushed his hair out of his face, and you winced as a cough wracked itself through his body. He curled up as he hacked up a mouthful of blood, and he turned his head and lazily spit onto the ground next to him. He sputtered for a second, and you finally let your tears fall.
"It hurts so bad."
Your heart sank into your stomach at Eddie's confession, and you knew that instant. Eddie wasn't coming home. "I know, sweetheart," you told him. "If I could hurt instead of you..."
"I don't want you to go through this," Eddie said softly. "I-It's hard to get used to..." "What is?" you asked, sniffling as Robin came to sit next to you.
"Being someone that somebody cares for," Eddie admitted, and Robin placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. "Y-You care about me so much..."
"Because I love you," you told him, and his hand carefully reached to yours.
"Stop," he whispered, his fingers tangling with yours. You couldn't staunch the flow of blood with your hand occupied the way it was, and your tears came quicker, burning your eyes, as you realized what he was doing. "Just stop. Just let me..."
"No!" you croaked. "Eddie, no, I'm not gonna let you-! Please, we're gonna get you home-"
"No, you're not," Eddie told you softly, and you squeezed your eyes shut. "It's okay. Just let me go. I love you, okay?"
"Eddie-"
"There's nothing you can do. I love you. Now, get out of here, go home."
"Eddie," you whimpered, and you felt his grip on your hand falter. "Eddie! Please, fuck, Eddie!" But it was too late for him. Your saving grace, at the very least, was that you knew that he had loved you.
