Love, Lola / Chapter One / Through Space And Time (5.6k)

love, lola / chapter one / through space and time (5.6k)

a/n: happy ending eventually, slow burn, will they won't they, a lil angsty but never mean eddie

my requests are open for this series if you want to request things from the backstory (if I don’t answer them, it’s because it’ll be revealed!)

prologue here / series masterlist / follow #enam3l love lola for instant updates / my other work

'Oh sweetheart you'll never believe this, Chrissy Cunningham is coming over later ahaha.' 

That was the last you had heard from Eddie and his words had made you want to slam the phone down so hard it crushed through the wall. Chrissy fucking Cunningham. It was downright embarrassing, you were twenty, living in New York and yet wanting to climb out onto the fire escape where the traffic can drown out your screaming over a teenage cheerleader. A hideous jealously coursed through you, not only was Eddie far away and his time previously reserved for you, now being spent with others. But it was being spent with the antithesis of you; classically all American feminine. Chrissy was delicate, pure and with the right amount of mystery. Eddie didn't know every detail of her life, every gory mortifying moment. Another fear that lingered in your mind - Eddie knew you far too well to possibly be in love with you. 

In the absence of a cure for a broken heart, the easiest alternative was to tape it back together and pretend that wasn't a temporary solution. For you this meant hooking up with someone, anyone who for once could make you feel desired, even if only for a night. And there he was, your human equivalent to sellotape, sat on the sofa with a beer trying to decide how long he needed to spend on pleasantries before he could get his dick out. Then your phone rang... it still wasn't Eddie. 

'Is this Y/N?' an anxious voice piped' 

'Yes... who is this?' 

'My name is Dustin, I'm Eddie's friend...'

Instantly your heart froze at Eddie's name and you hear the deep inhale from the other line. 

'He's in trouble. I didn't know who else to call.'

Immediately you were screeching at Mr. Sellotape to leave, the reason your heart beat at all needed you and he was more important than anything. You knew of Dustin, you knew of all of Eddie's latest lost chicks he'd taken under his wing. There was no need to ask for the boy to elaborate, whatever it was, you would be there. Every moment from the phone call until you find yourself back in Hawkins was a blur. Now you were finally, carefully approaching Skull Rock - where you used to get drunk as a teenager - to find beneath, curled up in a shivering ball, your Eddie. 

'Teddy,' you whisper, it's a name for his ears only. 

You heart wrenches to see how the confident larger than life boy turned to you quivering, eyes wide and tearful as if he could no longer trust the world around him. But he could trust you. Eddie leans in to your outstretched hand, finally receiving the only comfort on earth that could sooth him. The group linger back, aware you can help him in a way they'll never understand. After a few moments indulging in your touch, Eddie's big eyes blink open. This is the saddest and smallest you'd ever seen him, his face more haunted than the moment you stood by him as they lowered his mother's coffin into the ground. 

'W-why... h-how are you here Y/N?' his voice merely a croak. 

'Dustin called and I got on a plane straight away. You were in trouble. That's all I needed to know.'

You crawl up next to him as finally, for the first time since he saw Chrissy's crumpled lifeless body on his floor, Eddie lets himself go. Leaning against you, his face burrowed into your chest, sobs erupt causing his lanky frame to tremble and your top to soak with tears. He tells you every detail, the parts he hadn't wanted to scare the kids with. The way her bones crunched like twigs underfoot, how her once sparkling eyes crushed like grapes, every violent impact on the innocent girl's body inhuman. 

The bond that exists between you means not once does he question whether you believe his story or the insane revelation of the supernatural. The gang had told you everything, from Will's disappearance to where you are now and somehow it didn't surprise you. There had always been a twisted aura enveloping Hawkins that you'd never been able to ignore ever since you were a child. It was a topic your Grandmother frequently mentioned about the town you both called home; since time began there has been a darkness to Hawkins. 

Once again it felt like your destiny to be Eddie Munson's protector. Refusing to leave his side once you'd finally been reunited, whatever inter-dimensional beast or holier than thou towns person came for Eddie, they'd have to get through you first. You fingers intwined with his as you both swam into the depths of Lover's Lake, another location from your childhood together charred from the trauma Eddie had witnessed there. Pushing through to the surface you now came face to face with the hellish underbelly of Hawkins, the source of all the unexplained horrors that had occurred over the last three years. Instinctively you clung to Eddie holding him back as you witnessed demonic bats descend from the twisted red skies onto Steve Harrington. Nancy's screams and Eddie's tugging pull you out of the panicked vision of Eddie in Steve's place, being ravaged at all angles by the bats; you desperately needed him out of this and into safety.

The pair of you kick into action attempting to save Steve whilst you never let Eddie stray from your peripheral. Finally as the bats cower away you exhale and watch as Nancy attends to Steve's wounds. You can't help but notice the glimmer of adoration and heartbreak as she sees the damage, the way her fingers are gentle against his skin as her touch lingers a little too long and her eyes soften at his words. You force yourself to look away and continue forward with Robin as Eddie holds back with Steve, wrapping him in his jacket. Watching your shoes shuffle in the dirt, you look down in attempt to hide the blush rising on your cheeks as you realise the way Nancy looks at Steve is surely the way the world sees you look at Eddie. At least Nancy had the excuse of being his ex, of having held him in the ways you'd longed to hold Eddie but unfortunately you had no excuse; you'd never been so lucky to call Eddie yours. With the watergate closed you all pursue another avenue and continue onwards to the Wheeler house in search of weapons. As you finally arrive and begin to file up the stairs to Nancy's bedroom, Eddie's hand finds yours and pulls you back. 

The deep brown warmth in his eyes as they gaze up at you makes your heart burn similar to the burning sensation on your skin as Eddie's thumb rubs your knuckles. He looks at you and speaks with a sincerity rare for your best friend.

'I-I'm glad you're here Y/N... I mean... I'd rather you were away from this and safe but...'

You squeeze his hand as you indulge, letting your free hand brush his still damp fringe out his eyes. 

'Of course I'm here. I'd follow you anywhere... even through space and time,' you chuckle as you gesture around to the surreal surroundings you find yourselves in. 

Eddie faintly smiles back as he captures your other hand now, gripping them both intensely. 

'It's selfish but... I couldn't get through this without you, sweetheart.' 

It's a nickname that's lasted a lifetime and it still makes your blood rush without fail. You pull your conjoined hands to your lips and press a kiss to each. 

'You'll never have to get through anything without me. You're stuck with me for life.' 

Your heart is internally screaming please keep me around for life but you dare not let it slip.  

The moment is interrupted as Robin shouts for you both and fills you in on their discoveries; that the Upside Down is stuck in 1983 and that they can communicate with Dustin on the other side. You struggle to pay attention to Dustin's words and revelations, your eyes fixated on the way the energy twinkling from the lights reflects every shade of Eddie's eyes; shades of caramel, chocolate and espresso. 

Eventually you reach Eddie's trailer and see his lip tremble as you all enter. His eyes fixate on one spot and it goes without saying that it's where he saw Chrissy die. It feels disgustingly cruel for his own home to now be marred by this dark events. Dustin's cheerful face breaks the tension as it appears at the portal opening and you watch as Eddie visibly relaxes a the sight and sound of the boy. It's a comfort knowing Eddie had someone he was truly at ease with in your absence. You all venture into his bedroom and it's a familiar sight you've missed so much. It's wall to wall Eddie. His posters, his guitars, his bedsheets and clothes and... you spot something crumpled on the floor. 

'Urm Nance...'

She whips around to meet you, 'Yeah?'

'Did you say you think this place... this version of Hawkins was stuck in 83?'

She nods, 'Yep, pretty much. 6th November 83, the day Will went missing... why?'

You point to what caught your eye.

'Guess I was staying here that night,' you shrug. 

In the corner, next to the side of the bed Eddie usually sleeps on his a pile of your clothes. A small black satin dress, a matching set of pink lace underwear and a pair of black ankle boots. You'd forgotten you ever owned any of it, not having seen them in years. You're oblivious to Eddie's reaction to seeing what you point at, his cheeks redden, eyes wide as he gulps. Everyone stares at him but you, who starts to tie up sheets to use as a ladder between portals. 

Eddie coughs and manages to stutter out, 'Urm, y-yeah... you were here that night...' 

He's grateful that you're too distracted to see his pink cheeks and that his hair is still wet, hiding the beads of sweat surely trickling from his forehead. 

'That's wild, I totally forgot,' you shrug as you walk back into the living room. 

Nancy and Robin eyes shift at Eddie before following you out of the room. Steve stays and takes in Eddie's nervous appearance, 

'What the fuck dude?' His eyebrows raise, baffled as to what he just witnessed. 

Eddie shakes his head, 'don't ask...' he sighs and closes his eyes tightly. 

Steve looks over at the pile of clothes and back at the tension in Eddie's face, he attempts to sooth it. 

Batting his arm, Steve smirks 'cute panties though, right?'

Eddie's eyes jump back open, the red of the sky outside reflecting in the brown orbs and he raises his hand to Steve who jumps back in time. 

'Do. Not. Harrington,' he snarls. 

Steve raises his hands in surrender as he backs out the room, attempting to hide a smirk. 

'Alright, alright. Touchy subject, clearly, Munson.' 

Once Eddie is left alone in his bedroom he moves over to the pile of your clothes and lets the satin and lace glide through his fingers. Even in this godforsaken dimension, your smell still radiates from the fibres although mixed with whisky. He carefully folds them, pulls an old suitcase out from under his bed and opens it. In there are treasures, pictures of his Mom, song lyrics, old picks, gig tickets and birthday cards. He delicately places your clothes in there. Had the Upside Down mirrored his bedroom as it was now in 1986, your clothes would still be there folded perfectly in his box of treasures. 

It had been easy to slot into the group who'd been protecting your best friend in your absence. The Harringtons ran in the same circles as your Grandmother, many a ridiculous social event you and Steve had sought each other out to sit in the corner together. Robin although a couple years younger, had been interested in art like you so you'd run into each other in the art classrooms. Nancy had always been on a level above her peers, taking several of your senior classes despite being a sophomore. As for the kids, particularly Dustin, it was easy to connect with people who saw just how special Eddie was. You'd made it out of the portal and back into the real world. Your eyes scanned round the group of your new friends and allies. As you huddled together in the Max's trailer, plotting how to defeat Vecna you knew there'd been one ally you had yet to recruit - your Grandmother. Nancy had scavenged all the information she could on Vecna; from Victor Creel to Henry himself but there was one source of Hawkins history that hadn't been tapped into. Your Gran was born into a very wealthy founding family of Hawkins, it's story was her own. 

Earlier as you had clung to Eddie as you entered the Upside Down, across town your Gran sat at the back of the townhall listening to her community descend into madness. There were things in Hawkins they could never understand yet she had long suspected. Since childhood she felt the darkness infiltrate the streets she walked and the air she breathed. In 1959 a neighbour at the end of her street passed away leaving the home to his great niece and her family - The Creels. The events that happened in that house confirmed everything your Gran had ever theorised about Hawkins - it was cursed. Every detail she was able to piece together from neighbourhood gossip, police reports and the tales her daughter (your Mom) had told of the siblings Henry and Alice Creel that she had attended school with. All of it brought her to the conclusion that there was something that existed beyond what we understand. Then there was the Laboratory. It had appeared not long after the Second World War, her father some how involved in its funding and formation. She didn't know much about her father's work and that was by his own design, all she knew was that it wasn't savoury - nothing good ever paid so well. Often in the middle of the night she'd be awoken by the phone ringing, usually within ten minutes of the call she would hear her father leaving the house, she knew it meant something had gone wrong at the lab.

By the 50s, she sensed whatever was occurring at the lab had intensified as her father was pulled out of retirement and the atmosphere of Hawkins blackened further. Anytime she visited, her mother would inform her he was either out or shut away in his office with the men in black hats. Then after the Creel murders happened, something shifted in her father. He looked paler, gaunter, his eyes hollowed and empty, as if he were in a constant state of having seen a ghost. That is when she decided for sure whatever happened at Creel House was beyond human as was what occurred in the confines of Hawkins Lab. By 1960 her father had died and she sensed decades of harbouring these secret horrors finally took its toll on his body. As time went by, the Creel family faded to an urban legend within the town, everyone blissful to forget beside your Gran.

Then the events of 83 occurred, a boys dead body found one minute then he returns the next, unexplained deaths and increased activity at the lab. To her, all of it screamed cover up, something she could imagine her father hatching up in his office with the men in black hat. Since then incidents only continued, each more bizarre than the last and always haphazardly explained. Now she found herself here listening to her town finally realising none of this was normal and her completely missing the mark. Blaming it on satanism and cults, blaming on a boy she viewed as a grandson. A boy she knew was innocent. 

After convincing the group your Gran would understand, you found yourself pulling up to her house - your house. Steve and Dustin accompanied you to knock on as the rest of them stayed in the camper van Eddie had stolen. The door opened to your Gran's smiling face and after everything you'd learnt over the past couple of days, you just needed to be in her arms and comforted by the only real parent you'd ever had. Her arms instantly wrapped round you, her delicate hands stroking your back and hair soothingly like you were a child all over again. Soft kisses were placed at the crown of your head. 

'You came home to help Eddie, didn't you?' She murmured. 

'He didn't do it, Gran. I swear,' you couldn't help the sob that escaped you. 

She takes your face in her hands and instantly the smile on her face soothes your worries. 

'I know, of course he didn't. It's our Eddie we're talking about.' 

Our Eddie. It makes you smile just how deeply apart of each other's existence you are. 

Your Gran frees you and turns to your friends, waving them in. 

'Hello Steve and young man, you are?'

'Dustin, ma'am!' 

His formality makes your Gran smirk. 

'Okay Dustin, well come on in boys and you can just call me Ruby.'

The three of you follow your Gran into her sitting room and instantly you all scramble to fill her in from Will's disappearance to the present day. All she does is nod and occasionally close her eyes, her hands clasped together. 

'Ma'a- Ruby... do you believe us? I know it sounds ridic-' Dustin stammers but your Gran raises her hand and cuts him off. 

'I knew it. Finally. An entire lifetime I knew there was something wrong with Hawkins and thank god you kids finally worked it all out.'

Steve and Dustin look between each other blinking, shocked at her total belief and lack of questions. You just smile, you knew she'd understand it all if not be completely thrilled she finally had answers to decades of questions. The clap of her hands and her bejewelled rings clinking together gets the boys attention. 

'So,' she grins, 'what's the plan? What do you need from me?' 

So now you find yourself with a full plan to defeat Vecna ready to be enacted. All of you split into separate groups: Max, Lucas and Erica at the Creel House, Robin, Nancy and Steve at the Upside Down alternative and you sitting at the edge of the portal in Eddie's trailer as he and Dustin lower themselves into the Upside Down side. All of you armed by weapons funded by your Gran. It infuriated you to be left on the outside as Eddie threw himself into danger but they'd all argued they needed someone at the portal, ready to help them through and to hand if something went wrong in either world. Eddie had to unlatch your grip from his hand, he kissed your head as he whispered,

'You can't always be the one saving me, sweetheart.'

The words made you feel sick, it was alien to not be by Eddie's side to protect him. You wait alone and anxious, picking at an abandoned flannel of Eddie's you found on the sofa next to you. Finally, the silence is broken by Robin's crackle through the walkie,

'Initiate Phase 3.'

'Understood Buckley, Phase 3 about to be initiated,' both Eddie and Dustin's voices chirp through the speaker. 

Hearing his voice alone allows you the breathe a little easier until you realise now it's really happening, now is where the trouble begins. 

Within minutes you begin to feel the vibrations from the amps on the other side and Eddie's guitar kicks in. A grin spreads over your face as you lean further to the portal to listen closer. Master of Puppets. You can't help but chuckle, of course your best friend chose to defeat an inter-dimensional monster with Metallica. Ever since its release he'd been dedicated every spare moment to practising it. Multiple scheduled calls were missed because he'd become so absorbed in attempting to perfectly repeating the chords but you understood, his passion just another thing you loved about him. When he did remember, he often put you on loudspeaker as he continued to try and master the solo. But it was hard to talk when you could picture him sat on the edge of his bed, calloused fingers burning as he repeated notes until it was flawless, the veins in his hands, neck and arms protruding as he tensed and his tongue poking out like it always did when he concentrated hard. However none of the times you'd heard him had he played like this.

Through dimensions you could hear the passion he was playing with, you knew his entire being was being forced into this song and it showed, every note flawless. When you closed your eyes you could picture him stood on the roof, wind whipping round his curls, his body rippling in movement with the guitar and the sleeves of his leather jacket taught and crinkled with his movements. It killed you to be missing his most mental performance yet. The wretched screeches of the bats pulled you from your longing and made your heart rate pick up. The plan had worked clearly but now that meant they were making a beeline for Eddie. The image of seeing the bats lunging at Steve's body earlier made your stomach churn. The thought of Eddie... your legs were already dangling over the edge of the portal when silence fell. Time ticked slowly and it all felt wrong. You grabbed for your walkie,

' Dustin?' You panted, 'what's going on? Why is it quite?'

Silence. No response. It was all too quite. 

You hurled yourself through the portal, crashing onto the mattress you'd peacefully curled up on with Eddie so many times. You wished that's where you really were now, asleep bedside him and having the worst dream of your life. But you weren't. You stumbled to your feet and wrenched open the trailer door. The sky was darker than earlier, now a deep crimson with murky clouds and crackling lightening. Dustin stood nervously not far from the trailer... without Eddie. 

'What the fuck is going on?' you hissed. 

'He's gone rogue...' Dustin whispered, his eyes wide and you looked in the direction of his stare. 

The bats were silent because they'd been occupied with chasing Eddie who was fleeing away from the trailer. 

'What the hell is he doing?! You were supposed to play then get in the fucking trailer!' You scowled. 

'Th-they were too quick! We couldn't get from the roof to the door so he started running, s-so I could get in safely,' Dustin's bottom lip was trembling. 

You couldn't be mad at him, this screamed of Eddie's recklessness. You reached out and squeezed Dustin's shoulder. 

'Please, please, get inside. Get upside and safe. I'll deal with him.'

Dustin nods and begins to back up the stairs to the trailer. 

You're furious at Eddie's recklessness. Enraged he'd risk himself like this, make Dustin witness and risk leaving you. His figure continues to flee into the distance on a bike. You march closer, standing safely away from the trailer door which Dustin has finally retreated through. 

'EDWARD FUCKING MUNSON,' you bellow, 'WHAT PART OF THE FUCKING PLAN IS THIS?'

Your voice booms through the desolate land, bouncing off the tinny trailers and catching not only Eddie's attention but the bats. All of them screeching to a halt. 

'GET INSIDE NOW!' Eddie shouts back. 

He should know how stubborn you are, you stomp forward and you can see him shaking his head and flapping his arms encouraging you to move. 

'NO YOU FUCKING IDIOT! GET HERE NOW. WHERE IN THE PLAN DID WE DECIDE TO PLAY HUMAN SACRIFICE?' the anger inside you has completely erupted, you cannot believe how stupid he'd be. The rage is blinding you that all you can see is Eddie's frustrated figure and not the bats who are beginning to be lured by your echoing voice. 

'YOU SCARED DUSTIN! YOU SCARED ME! THIS IS NOT D&D, THIS IS NOT A FANTASY TO PLAY THE HERO! GET. INSIDE. NOW.' 

Some how your voice has grown even louder, Eddie has never heard you neither this loud nor angry. It's terrifying but what scares him more is how you've completely backfired his plan. The bats are now hurtling towards you and you're oblivious, still screeching at him. 

'Y/N be careful! They're coming your way now, for fucks sake!' 

Finally you process the world around you beside Eddie and see the black mass of bats now turned and flapping in your direction. Frantically, you spin to find the nearest weapon at your disposal. A shot gun sits propped up against the railings of the trailer and you skid over grabbing it. Cocking it, you're never more grateful for a ridiculous upbringing that resulted in you learning to shoot clay pigeons. 

Eddie's eyes bulge as he watches you shoot down the bats like it was second nature. His fingers grip at his hair knowing there's more bats than bullets and they're a lot faster than the gun. 

'Crazy bitch,' he mutters and he assesses his surroundings, 'couldn't just let me protect her for once.' 

He spots the wire for the amp dangling off the roof of the trailer and speeds back off towards it, hoping the guitar works again. 

The bats are dropping one by one but they continue to close in on you. They block your view and you pray for once in his life Eddie Munson has made a sensible decision and gone inside... but alas you were wrong. 

The amp screeches back to life and the bats flinch at the noise pivoting again back towards Eddie. Your fingers grip tight on the gun as you see him clearly now, round the side of the trailer across from you, calloused fingers causing his guitar to break through the noise again. Motherfucker, you think. 

You try to shout again to get the bats back to you but your voice is now hoarse and incomparable to the volume of the amps. 

The gun blasts to life again as you attempt to shoot down the swarm that is spiralling round Eddie but it's futile. The bats appear to have tripled in number. A darkness whispers through your mind it's no use. 

Tears trickle at the panic that's coursing through your veins, you attempt to move towards him but your legs are trembling and the shaking slows down the number of shots you can fire. As your arms lower, bullets all spent, you can finally hear his song. It's not Metallica now but your favourite and now the tears flood your waterline. Hot on your skin and completely obscuring the view of Eddie. 

Eddie watches you try to stumble nearer through the gaps between the beasts that swirl around him. He's stuck in the eye of a demonic tornado. He's the unlikely hero attempting to save princess who can only succeed at a cost. Your life is worth much more, he believes that to his core. But for once he thinks he can finally call himself a hero, protecting you for once instead of vice versa. Eddie is sure he has them all of the bats to his attention now, safely away from you. No need to play anymore he stops and lifts his guitar, swinging it round his head like a baseball bat. The bats screech and their blood splatters against his face each time he catches another. It's exhausting, another appearing in place of any he strikes. His arms and lungs ache. 

'Don't...' he gasps, 'you dare fucking hurt her. Don't...'

One bat manages to side sweep him, the sharp tail taking his legs out from under him. Eddie crashes to the floor and all he sees is black, the swarm entirely filling his line of vision. Over their screeches he can barely hear you cry his name. He groans as hot punctures strike at him repeatedly. The bats are quick to shred his pre ripped jeans and the thin cotton of his t-shirt. His trusty leather jacket providing him an armour that it had already done since the day you bought it for him. There's not point fooling himself, Eddie knows the hot trickles he feels down his torso and legs is his own blood. He closes his eyes, I'm really fucking tired he thinks. 

 Scarlet thunder cracks brutally through the blackened sky. Once, twice, three, four times. The bats instantly screech and drop fast and hard. Their bodies thumbing to the ground, the shield drop and revealing Eddie lying there motionless. Your scream pierces the silence, feet crunching over the dust and bodies to get to him. 

'Eddie,' you're barely able to croak as you take in the sight before you. 

His t-shirt tattered, gashes littering his sides as hot red pulses out of them and an unholy rate. Your heart and stomach plummet. Dropping to your knees by his side you rip off your sweater. Pushing it against the blood flow. A sharp gasp escapes Eddie and whilst you hate to hurt him, you're so pleased to hear a noise. 

'Teddy, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry. I need to stop the bleeding okay?' 

His eyes are drooping heavily, his chest raising faintly. You cradle his face, stroking away his hair and letting your forehead fall to his. 

'W-why did you do that?' you sob

Eddie wheezes attempting to answer and your hand goes to sooth him, stroking his neck. 

'C-couldn't... let... them...hurt you,' he splutters, blood splattering out his mouth. It's bad.You shake your head and try to protest but he muscles the strength to take take your hand in is. 

'You'd h-have... done the same,' he smiles. 

Even with bloody smeared over his face he is the most beautiful human you've ever seen. 

'Yeah... I would've,' you chuckle between sniffs. 

You heart cracks, his eyes droop closed and his body feels cooler each second. 

'Please, please stay awake Teddy. Please,' you're begging, tears streaming down into his neck where you've buried your face. The hand he had taken yours in shifts, managing to tangle into a lock of your hair. Your eyes shut blissfully at the touch, you never want him to stop touching you even if he's never touched you in all the ways you want. Eddie's throat croaks again and push up to look at his face. 

'Through,' he coughs again, more blood splatters out, 'space and time, yeah? Sweethea...' 

Eddie's eyes finally fluttered closed and then fingers than had been clutching your hair slack. If he goes knowing you're safe and you're the last thing his eyes ever got to enjoy and your skin was the final thing he got to touch, then that's a pretty good way to go. 

 Your own heart stops as you scan his face. Fingers clutching at the sides of his face, shaking him. Harder and harder. 

'Eddie?' you welp.  

'EDDIE?!' you grip at the scuffed leather.

No response. No movement. The blood that had been gushing from him has stilled. You throw your body over his. Face buried into his bloody chest, careless to its stains. 

'Don't you dare fucking leave me Edward Munson. I don't know how to exist without you, I don't think I do exist without you,' you whisper through a fresh wave of sobs. 

Your fingers find his pick necklace and you press your lips to it. 'Please, Teddy. I'm so in love with you. Please.' 

When Dustin finds you, quickly followed by Steve, Robin and Nancy, they gasp at the sight before them. You're curled up on Eddie's body, when they tug you away, you're covered in as much blood as Eddie. Collectively they carry him, your hand never leaving his. 

Once top side, they lay Eddie in back of Steve's car. You crawl in beside him and the gang look mournful as they watch Steve reverse, speeding away to the hospital. You're completely oblivious to the world outside of yours and Eddie's bodies. Steve let's tears seep as he keeps his eyes on the road, determined to pretend he can't hear the way you confess your love to Eddie. Whatever happens, he thinks, I'll never mention I heard that. 

A group of people haul Eddie out the backseat and into the hospital, you chasing frantically. Determined to never let him out of your sight. The doctors and nurses look in horror as they assess his injuries, petrified as to what could cause such unholy damage. You screech at them to stop as they cut away his clothes,

'Don't... don't rip that!' You cry as you take Eddie's leather jacket off for him. Steve and a nurse stroke your back as your carefully take off every ring, bracelet and necklace. Pressing a kiss to his buckles when you remove the final one. To the staff you must look like a distraught wife, you could only dream. The nurse tugs you away,

'Please honey, you have to let go of him now if the Doctors have any hope of saving him.' 

Steve takes you into his arms as you begin to cry more. As Eddie is wheeled away, the nurse shakes her head at Steve and mouths 'prepare her for the worst.' He nods, pulling you now over to the sofa and laying you down. 

Steve watches trying to stifle his own tears now as he sees you cover your body in Eddie's leather jacket and place each of his rings on yourself. As your exhausted eyes flutter closed, he witnesses you bring the rings to your lips. All of it means so much more now, Steve realises. You were completely in love with Eddie Munson.