𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 | Eddie Munson

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇɪɢʜᴛ

Eddie's voice is filled with dreams and hopes for the future as he talks. He moves around his room as if he's floating, grabbing different things and clothes to toss in the bag on his bed. He looks happy. He sounds happy. It's the first time I've seen him with that familiar light in his eyes since before The Upside Down.

"I'll bring this for you," He holds up an old Black Sabbath shirt and smiles. The shirt he let me wear every time I came over with the smell of my father on me. I remember falling asleep surrounded by the smell of Eddie and it became a comfort for me. He knows. He always knew what that did for me.

I could sneak over to my old place and pack a few of my belongings into a small bag, but I don't want anything from this life. I'm staring at the only thing I want in my future and he's smiling back at me.

"Eddie?"

Eddie zips up the bag and takes another look around the room. "Hmm?"

I take a breath as I watch him from the edge of the bed. I'm warmer now that I'm wearing a long sleeve shirt and my jeans are snug around my legs. Eddie was eager to pack and tell me all the ideas he has for our travels. I listened, but my questions are starting to burn my tongue. "We can't pretend to go off and live a normal life."

Eddie grabs a guitar pick off the ground and leans back against his dresser. He is silent as he flips the pick around his fingers. I know he's thinking about it now, the reality of the situation, when before he was swimming in a delusion. My mind doesn't work that way. My feet seem to be planted on his bedroom floor, unable to move without a clear direction. "You're not normal. There is no normal life awaiting you."

"Us." He says quickly and then looks up at me. "A life for us, right?"

It takes a moment before I realize what he's asking. "Yes, that's what I meant."

"Are you sure? Is this what you want?" He flicks the guitar pick onto the bed before stretching his arms out and gripping the dresser, leaning further back. "Do you want to go away with me?"

He's so damn beautiful and I feel bad for thinking that right now, but I can't help it. His brown eyes look at me through his lashes, full of silent pleading. His curls are tangled and fall wildly around his shoulders. My eyes drop to his hands on the dresser and notice his finger tapping on the wood. He's worried and anxious about my answer. I can see it in his body language, his breathing, and those eyes. Does he know how his eyes deceive him?

I push off the bed and walk up to him. He doesn't move, but I can see he's eager to touch me. He's waiting to see if I'll break his heart or fill him with the promise of a future. I touch his face as I once did after I believed he was dead. As I did when I found him alive and lost under the curse of hell. I touch him differently now. It's not with sadness or fear, but with hope. Hope for that future that he sees so vividly. What is a future without the one person that kept me looking toward it when in the past?

"I'd follow you into hell if you asked me," I say looking at death himself.

He smiles, relief washing over his body. His arms wrap around me as our lips meet. "I know the future seems unsure, but we can do this. I know how to feed now and I won't have to hurt anyone. I'll just need to hunt now and then. We can find a place far away and live without the world watching us. And when you want the world then I'll give it to you."

I look at him and see the promise in his eyes. He is different. He's more like the Eddie from before, but not fully. I see the dead lurking behind those eyes, but it's weaker. I don't know what's changed and what they did to him, but I hope he can share that with me one day.

"Okay," I said with blind trust, guided by love.

"We will make it work. Whatever happens, we will figure it out. I just want it to be with you."

And he kisses the words on my skin and seals it with a hug. I don't know what the future looks like exactly, but it wasn't too long ago when I didn't see a future at all. Now I finally have something to look forward to and I remind myself that I deserve this. We deserve this. I won't let the pain of my past control my life.

—

The night is coming to an end just as we close this chapter in our lives. Eddie said we should leave before the sun rises, so no one sees us. To most of the world, we are dead, and keeping it that way helps us find a peaceful life without questions.

Time will pass and our names will become a distant memory. We will find a town that won't know our history and we can build a future around the hope of renewal. Of course, we will have secrets but they will be easier to hide when you're a stranger to others. It makes sense and I feel at peace leaving this all behind. Before I was prepared to move forward on my own, but it never felt right. Until now. With my arms around Eddie and as we ride out of town, it finally feels right. The sound of his motorcycle is the only goodbye this town will receive. Hawkins turned their back on Eddie Munson and now it's time for him to do the same.

An envelope sits in the mailbox of the Wheeler's house with my heartfelt apologies and appreciation to my friends. It's filled with promises that I'll be safe and we will call when the time is right. I know they will be sad, but they will understand. At the end of the day, I'll always choose Eddie. Where he goes, I go. And he would do the same. It's how it's always been meant to be. The universe placed him in my life when I begged for safety and love at a young age, and we have been tied together ever since. Through life and death, we always found a way to each other.

"Hang on tight, baby," Eddie says as he squeezes my leg, his eyes focused ahead.

I wrap my arms tighter around him as he gains speed on the road. The sun lightly paints the sky back to life as I rest my head on Eddie's back. He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it. This is living. Being greeted by the sun, wind in my hair, and being kissed by death.

THE END

A/N: Eddie driving a motorcycle is my favorite headcanon. I imagine him working on an old motorcycle for years and he finally gets it to work, and the first ride is his escape out of Hawkins. Ugh, he deserved that.

Well, this is the end. I've enjoyed writing this story and I hope you all loved reading it. Let's all hope that we actually get vampire Eddie for season 5! But for now, fanfics fill the void and hopefully, this did that for you.

I'm sure I'll continue writing one-shots, but for now, I'm taking some time to rest. Love you all so much and I appreciate all your support. Your kind comments and messages brighten my day, you have no idea.

Much love,
Sabrina