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"Shit, shit, shit!" Eddie raced after you, panting heavily as he whipped his head around to ensure the two of you weren't being chased. You reached your hand to him, pulling him behind you through the darkness from the surrounding trees. "Shit! Where are we going? Do you know where you're heading?"
You could only nod in response, unsure if he could even see you. Your lungs were screaming for a break, pain shooting through you each time you inhaled, and your legs were growing weary of the running. You could only think of one place to go, one place that you knew the police wouldn't be aware of. And you hoped you could still find your way through the darkness.
"Just..." you gasped, "trust me."
Eddie couldn't protest. He blindly followed you, trying not to trip over things as you both rushed. You glanced behind you, looking past the panicked Eddie to the trees behind you, the only visibility in the light of the moon.
"Shit, wait, here. Here!" Eddie's body moved before you could react to what he said. You bit back a shout of surprise as he dragged the both of you under the familiar mound of rocks. He let go of your hand, and the both of you collapsed onto the ground, heavy breaths filling the quiet. "Skull... Rock."
You nodded. Your body fell backward, and you now laid on the ground, staring up at the stone above the both of you. A sense of relief washed over your body, and, even though you knew the feeling was only momentary, you revelled in it. Rolling your head to the side at the new noise that filled your ears, you found Eddie rummaging through the bag you had packed with supplies in case of an emergency like this. He pulled out a water bottle, immediately opening it and raising it to his lips to take several large mouthfuls of water. He lowered the container, panting heavily. His dark eyes flicked over to you.
"Did you, uh, want some?" He queried.
"I'm fine, Eddie," you breathed, offering a reassuring smile to him, which you figured felt out of place considering what you both witnessed less than ten minutes prior. "I've got another one in there if I need." You pushed yourself up, aware of Eddie's gaze fixed on you. "There's some food in there if you want. I, uh, didn't manage to pack anything warm, unfortunately."
He gave you an understanding nod. His eyes fell to the bag. "Thanks..." He murmured, so softly you almost didn't catch it. Your eyebrows raised as he looked back at you, offering a curt smile of appreciation. "For the bag and for getting us out of there."
"It's okay." You pushed yourself backwards, choosing to lean against the rock formation. "Hey," Eddie cocked his head, "if you want to try and catch some sleep, I'm happy to keep watch. Um, but if you can't, don't feel like you need to."
"No, no," the metalhead shook his head, appreciative of your efforts in the situation you both were in. "If we're going to deal with Vecna alongside the town hunting us, we're gonna need to rest."
You hummed. He got as comfortable as he could in the dirt and rock. You weren't completely sure if it were possible either of you would be able to get any sleep tonight, but you figured it was worth a try. The others would find you, you had faith in them, and hopefully, they knew how to deal with this Vecna dude.
"Night," Eddie called.
You could only weakly smile. "Night, Munson," you responded.
Sometime throughout the night, Eddie had woken up from the weak sleep he'd had and offered to switch with you, promising to wake you in the morning. You questioned if he was okay, only receiving half-assed nods and yesses from the male, but you were too exhausted to argue. You bundled yourself up in the clothing you had and laid down.
Your dreams were no longer dreams, not as if they had been for some time, and you could only find yourself reliving the trauma from what had happened probably hours ago. The boy who you did not know floating high above the boat you and Eddie were in, then the water coming over you when Eddie had tipped the boat too far in his panic, sending you both in. A sense of horror filled your nightmares as you thought about the Vecna attack, which slowly bled into other surfacing memories from the years prior. The Demogorgons, the Demo-dogs, the Mind Flayer. You were sure to be tossing and turning enough to freak Eddie out.
"Hey, hey!" Eddie was clicking, shoving you, calling your name alongside orders to wake up. Panic see within your chest and you shot up, gasping for air, hands gripping at the dirt and leaves, then Eddie's clothes. "Woah, woah, it's just me. It's me, Eddie. I'm just waking you up."
You took several deep breaths, still clutching Eddie's jacket. He didn't push you away, and you could feel his gaze burning a hole into your shaking body. You shook your head, forcing yourself to let the individual go.
"'M--'m sorry, Munson. I--I didn't mean to grab you like that." You clenched your fists by your side. "Just a bad dream."
"It's okay." Eddie stayed crouched by you. "I, uh, I can understand why. You've been here since, like, the beginning with these guys, right? You've already see all this shit." He offered a comforting smile to you when you nodded. "Once Henderson gets here I'll tell him you deserve a holiday."
You finally let out a laugh. Your hands came up to wipe the tears that had formed in your panicked state before staring back at Eddie. "You know, I think we would have been good friends in school, if I actually bothered to talk to you." He hummed, curious, cocking his head as he hoped for you to continue. You did. "You were, like, this guy that my friends told me not to hang out with because you were a 'freak'. But, truthfully, I thought you were pretty cool. You were open with your opinions, you always had a comeback, and your group, your friends, they looked like they had fun with you."
"I'm surprised you even noticed me," Eddie grinned. "Not many people did."
"'Cause people are assholes," you laughed. "I wasn't a popular person, and I was pretty alone. It gave me time to observe people."
"Fair enough." He stood up suddenly, and you watched him march over to the bag. "Did you want something to eat? We've got some lovely snack bars or a large packet of potato chips. Not very healthy things, here."
"Sorry, am I running some sort of diet for you, Munson?" You teased.
The male let out a snort before tossing one of the snack bars your way. You caught it and watched as he grabbed a radio as well. He sat beside you once again, pulling out the antenna, and unwrapping his bar at the same time.
"You gonna see if they'll pick up?" You figured he had stolen it, but the desperate situation you were in meant you couldn't find it in you to question him.
He let out a nod, taking a shaky breath. "I was trying last night while you were asleep, but nothing." You could see the stress on his face, even if he was trying to hide it. You placed your free hand on his arm. There was a click before he began to speak. "Dustin, can you hear me? Wheeler?"
There was a beat of static.
"Eddie. Holy shit. Are you okay?" Your face lit up with relief, and Eddie's hand clenched into a victorious fist. He rubbed his ring-clad fingers against his temple, shaking his head.
"Nah, man. Pretty... Pretty goddamn far from okay." He let out a tense laugh.
"Where are you?"
"Skull Rock. Uh, do you know it?" You glanced around, unsure of what to do with yourself as you continued eating the rest of your unhealthy breakfast, your hand lowered from Eddie's arm.
"Uh, yeah. That's near Cornwallis and--"
"Garrett," it was Steve's voice that cut in through the background, "yeah. I know where that is."
"Hold tight. We're coming. We're coming."
Eddie nodded, his face scrunched up. You weren't sure if he was going to cry or shout. Truthfully, either would have been appropriate, all things considered, so you gently leant against him, trying to let him know you were there for him without using words. He hung his head, glancing at you from behind the locks of curly hair that obscured his face.
"Can I just..." he let out a soft breath.
"Shit did you want me to move?." You rushed to make space between you, scooting away, prepared to head further if he wanted. "Sorry."
"No, no," he shook his head. You frowned, eyes glued to his face, eyebrows furrowed deeply in confusion. "I, um..." He hesitated once more. A heavy sigh left his mouth before you noticed movement on the ground. His hand reached toward you, palm up, and you realised he wanted you to hold it.
"Oh." Your own hand moved slowly, cautiously, like his hand was a deer, until your palm laid on top of his and he interlocked your fingers. "You wanted that?"
"Yeah," he whispered. "Sorry if it's weird, I just--"
"No, no, I get it." You smiled at him. "Trust me. I probably get it more than anyone."