[ Safe in Gareth's room, this is the first time Eddie has felt like he can fully relax in over a week. The days that it took to get from his re-entrance into Hawkins to Gareth's house, and then before that it was a constant game of cat and mouse, with being accused of murder.
So he doesn't think too much about the fact that his wounds don't really line up with anything from this area, much less this realm. ]
You wouldn't believe me. [ He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath, but closing his eyes just brings back the flapping of wings, a tendril around his neck, choking him, and he flinches. The mark around his neck looks like he tried to hang himself, which isn't too far from the truth considering the whole thing had felt like a suicide mission that he shouldn't have survived. ]
I wouldn't believe me. Shit's really fucked up. Like seriously fucked up, man. There's another plane of existence underneath Hawkins kind of fucked up.
Dude, this looks like it's gonna need stitches...I mean I could probably get my moms sewing shit but...
[ He trails off when he hears Eddie talk about....another plane of existence? He sort of gives a humorless laugh and rolls his eyes. ]
Sure you haven't had a bit too much of your own stash trying to fight off the pain? You sound a little delusional there bud.
[ He manages to get the wounds mostly cleaned up and bandaged properly. Thank you boy scouts, he had only been in it because his mother demanded it...but in the end it came in handy so oh well. After he gets that done he looks Eddie over more, eyes falling on the marks on his neck before softening. He can't help but think the worst, can't help but see them and think of a noose around Eddie's throat. He can't help but imagine Jason and his idiots on a witch hunt and lynching his best friend. It makes his eyes sting and he ducks his head to hide the wetness that collects before he grabs the cleaning supplies and sets to work on his friends neck next.
The irregular and random pattern of the wounds on his sides didn't make sense. Not for a mob attack. They really did look like some sort of animal but one that Gareth had never seen before.
[ Yeah, Eddie can't really blame Gareth for thinking that. He knows he sounds crazy. He sounded crazy when he recounted to Steve, Robin, and the rest of the gang what he saw, and he still sounds crazy now, talking about the Upside Down. If he hadn't experienced it himself, he would think he's crazy right now.
He can't blame Gareth for not believing him. He doesn't really have proof beyond the scarring, but at the end of the day, he would rather have Gareth not believe him than have the demobats flooding into the real world. ]
Yeah, no, I haven't smoked for a couple weeks, man. Sad to say I did not get to grab my stash before I went on the run. [ He offers Gareth a sad smile as he lets his friend continue to patch him up. It's when he reaches his neck that he flinches, and disassociates as he finds himself mentally returning back to being torn apart.
It's honestly a miracle he's here right now, and he knows it. ]
Look, you know as well as I do that there are no fault lines. The thing that killed all those people, the ones that they're blaming on me? He's who we have to thank for there being giant craters in the middle of Hawkins.
[ Eddie's right, Gareth does know better than all of that. He can't bring himself to be that surprised with what he's hearing. Eddie isn't one to make shit up. Sure he writes whole fantasy epics for his campaigns but he doesn't just make shit like that up to fuck with his friends, especially not when it's so serious like this. So Gareth listens, he sits and patches Eddie up and he listens to what the guy has to say. ]
Okay...so...that's a lot.
[ He finally gets a moment to process and it's hard. His brow is furrowed as his hands fall to rest on Eddie's knees absently. ]
So you're saying there's some weird alternate dimension and something from that other side was killing people and...what...opened like gates or something to that other side and those are the craters that appeared with the earthquakes? Do I have all that right?
[ Standing Gareth sort of ran a hand through his hair and paced a bit. ]
That's a lot of weird to take in, Eds. Even for Hawkins.
[ As Gareth manages to piece together all the weird shit that Eddie has learned to be true in the past few weeks, Eddie's eyes glaze over as he focuses on the dulling pain. He hopes that it's only dulling because Gareth has been patching him up, and deep in the recesses of his mind he can almost hear a frantic Robin worrying over Steve potentially having rabies.
He supposes that's now something Eddie has to worry about as well. ]
Yeah, trust me, I wish that weren't all true, but. I saw with my own eyes. I saw these people float above me, it's. [ He trails off as he gets a distant look in his eye, the images of Chrissy floating, Patrick floating, and the unnatural way their bodies were manipulated by a seemingly invisible force. ]
I know what I saw. And I know it sounds completely insane, but I really need you to believe me. Because the only other people who do know what's going on think that I'm dead and I need them to continue thinking that.
[ His voice cracks as he speaks, and as he talks about Steve, Dustin, and the rest of the party, he looks right at Gareth with a pleading look, his eyes shimmering with frustrated tears. ]
Woah woah woah, hey, Eddie. It's okay. I believe you, it's weird as shit but of course I believe you.
[ Finishing up what he was doing, Gareth stood and moved to instead sit next to Eddie, a hand on the others shoulder gripping tightly. He's trying to be reassuring, trying to help Eddie know that he was there for him. ]
Why do people need to think you're dead? I mean, do they think you committed the murders? Because fuck them if so.
[ Gareth has always been a damn good friend to him, since the moment they met. He feels bad, that the guy had gotten roughed around all because of him, and now he's asking him to risk so much more just by being here? Harboring a fugitive, like the way he risked Steve's and Dustin's and everyone's lives just by letting them help him.
It's still taking him some time to process that it's okay to let people help them if they want to, that he doesn't have to be on the run, alone. ]
Thank fucking god, because if you didn't... [ Well, he would have probably been able to get the others to convince Gareth, but then that would defeat the whole purpose of trying to pretend he was dead. ]
Jason had the whole town after me, with pitchforks and everything. That's why it's better this way. [ Eddie's voice cracks as he speaks, and he winces at how pathetic it sounds. ]
Jason's one of those people that went missing when the earthquake hit...and I mean...at least here your safe. Mom doesn't think you did it, any of it. Doesn't think you could. Step-dick doesn't get a say in things.
[ Continuing to grip the others shoulder the drummer forces a smile on his lips, more for Eddie's sake than his own. ]
Point is you're safe here, not letting any of those idiots near you. If anyone has a problem they'll have to go through me and the rest of Hellfire. We've always got you back, Eds. But...there are people out there that are worried about you. What about your uncle? Or Henderson? The kid was frantic looking for you.
[ Eddie had been running for so long, he has almost forgotten what it felt like to have a safe haven. The grip to his shoulder was nice, it grounded him, reassured him that Gareth is here, and that he means what he says.
He takes his opposite arm and places a hand over Gareth's on his shoulder in response, patting it in thanks before curling his fingers around Gareth's and giving it a squeeze. It hits him in that moment, just how tired he really is. ]
Thank you. [ He smiles sadly as he thinks of Dustin, of his uncle. Maybe there isn't any harm in at least letting them know he's alive. ]
If there's a way we can let them know without alerting the whole town, maybe. [ It's probably safer for them not to know, but if the pitchforks were called off after Jason's "disappearance" then maybe there's little to worry about. ] I just don't want them to get caught in any crossfire if people find out I'm alive and want to hunt me down again.
I saw Henderson volunteering at the shelter in the gym, I can talk to him. No one will question me talking to him, we're friends.
[ Squeezing Eddie's arm again Gareth let's go and instead grabs for his friends hand. He doesn't really think anything about it as he holds Eddie's hand. There's so much going on right now, being able to touch and know that Eddie is safe is all that Gareth can care about. ]
You look like you might pass out but...do you want something to eat? I brought up some Twinkies and soda...it's not much but I figure a real meal might have to wait until after mom makes dinner and they go to bed.
[ Eddie opens his mouth to reply to Gareth, to thank him for going out of his way by checking in with Dustin, but suddenly he feels Gareth's hand in his and his thoughts just sort of feel like they derail. He isn't sure whether it's just from being touch starved, a general relief at knowing that he's really here, that Gareth is really here, or something else, but he knows that he doesn't want to let go of Gareth's hand anytime soon. ]
Oh, yeah, food would be awesome. [ As if on cue, his stomach started growling, and Eddie smiles sheepishly with a squeeze of Gareth's hand. ] Kind of haven't eaten in, uh, probably days by now.
[ Without letting go of Eddie's hand, Gareth grabbed the box of twinkies and soda he handed them over to Eddie with a small smile. ]
Just don't fill up on them, I think mom is making meatloaf tonight. So there will definitely be enough for me to snag you some later.
[ And he wasn't going anywhere until he had to grab them food, something told him his best friend needed him so he was there. Running a thumb over sharp knuckles and cold rings, Gareth waited quietly while Eddie dug into the junk food. ]
[ Maybe Eddie is a little touch-starved. He can definitely admit that much, and so is more than happy to keep a hold of Gareth's hand for this long. But he half-expected to be the one to have to seek out that kind of attention.
He wonders if Gareth is even aware he's doing it. ]
Shit, meatloaf? Definitely have to save some room for that, then.
[ Considering the mostly "real" last meal he had was Spaghetti-O's out of a can, he will eat just about anything at this point. Still, he gives Gareth's hand a squeeze as a sign that he's teasing at least a little before he started in on a twinkie.
And shit, once he starts, it's hard to eat politely. He hadn't realized how ravenous he's been feeling until now, and practically shoves the rest of the pastry into his mouth. ]
Sorry, you are definitely not seeing me at my best. [ He doesn't have a free hand to pull his hair in front of his face and hide behind, so the blush he's currently sporting is on full display. ]
[ Gareth sits and watches as the other devours the pastries, a soft look passing over his features as he sighs. ]
Eds, don't worry about it, okay? You know you don't gotta pretend around me.
[ Instead of judging the other, Gareth just snags one of the yellow confections for himself and sips at his soda.
If he looks conflicted it's because he is. On one hand he wants to tell his mom that Eddie is there so that he can just bring the other up something to eat without having to eat downstairs, he wants to make sure the other gets what he needs instead of letting him devour a bunch of empty calories and sugar. But at the same time he knows he can't, not yet. Not with how much of a dick his stepdad is and not with Eddie still wanted for murder. ]
[ That just makes Eddie pause, and he puts the Twinkie down so he can really get a better look at Gareth, and at their joined hands. It's the nickname Eds, the hand holding, the deep concern.
He's not even sure Gareth realizes he's doing any of this, tells himself it's just because he thought he'd lost Eddie and needs that connection, to make sure Eddie really is here, alive. ]
Yeah, wouldn't that be terrible, survive demonic bats only to die by processed sugar. [ He shoots Gareth a sly smile before eating the rest of the pastry, a little more slowly this time so as not to give himself too much of a sugar rush. ]
Dude, you're not gonna die because of processed sugar.
[ Rolling his eyes with a quiet laugh Gareth pulled his hand back after a bit, finally satisfied that the other wasn't going anywhere, and meandered over to his shelf of terrariums. Specifically turning off his 'day lights' before checking the pump on one with a water fixture before moving back to his desk to clean up the mess he had made pulling Eddie through the window.
When he heard his mom call from downstairs he froze, eyes darting to Eddie before calling back that he'd be right down. ]
Stay here, I'll bring up some food as soon as I can. I'll just...I'll tell her I'm not feeling up to being at the table....with things the way they are she's been pretty cool about it.
Hey, you never know, [ Eddie replies with a wild grin, which fades slightly as he thinks of all the things that could, in fact kill him, and almost did. But he is still standing, and that has to count for something, right?
He can't help but watch as Gareth starts inspecting his terrariums. It's something so painfully normal, which Eddie needs right now. He needs a distraction from the reality that's lurking just outside, in the cracks that have effectively carved up Hawkins and gave Vecna a way into their world.
It's only a matter of time.
He's jolted out of his spiraling thoughts by Gareth's mom calling him down for dinner. He frowns with a nod. ]
Yeah, no, of course. Just. [ He's not sure why he even wants to tell Gareth to be careful. It's just going down to dinner, making up an excuse to bring food up for Eddie. It's not like there's the danger of the Upside Down, or that he's going to ruin his relationship with his family by harboring a fugitive or anything.
Shit, he needs to stop panicking before he does something stupid like try to slip out of Gareth's house while he's still clearly healing. ]
Huh? Oh yeah, no worries. I'll be back as soon as I can.
[ Giving Eddie a reassuring smile, Gareth dipped out the door and headed down for dinner. It took a bit of convincing but before long he was able to talk his mom into letting him take his dinner upstairs. He hated lying to her but with his stepdad in the house he really couldn't tell her that Eddie was in fact alive and well and hiding out in his bedroom. Instead he waited until she was sitting down and grabbed his plate, adding more meatloaf and mashed potatoes, siting that he was really hungry, and slid an extra fork up his sleeve before heading back up. ]
Tadaa~
[ Stepping in and closing the door, Gareth made his way over holding out the extra fork as he set the plate down and plopped down on the other side of it from Eddie to start digging in. ]
[ Even though the thought does occur to him to slip out while Gareth is occupied, he couldn't do that to his friend. He had just revealed to Gareth that he's alive, and confided in him what really happened, he couldn't saddle him with all this pressure and then disappear. Not only would that not be fair, it wouldn't remove Gareth from any danger.
He should probably have thought of the possible consequences of dragging Gareth into this before he decided to bother him in the first place.
Before he could think any further, though, Gareth reappears, and a small smile creeps across Eddie's face as he accepts the fork and tries his best to eat at least somewhat slowly. ]
Your mom still makes the best damn meals.
[ Which isn't a surprise, given that Eddie doesn't have much to compare it to. Wayne usually works nights, so he prepares his own meals, usually from a can. Before he lived with Wayne, his mom died when he was young, and his dad hardly tried to cook, usually supplying him with TV dinners. So, more often than not, Gareth's mom was the one who made sure he was eating somewhat healthy. ]
[ Smiling Gareth just shrugged. It was nice to know that his friend was eating, something he always feels better about. He'd always blame his mom for why Eddie got sent home with food or invited over for dinner when part of it was him. He worried and wanted his best friend to have something more than canned foods or tv dinners. ]
You can tell her once we figure all this bullshit out. Because fuck those guys, my best friend isn't a killer.
[ It's said with the confidence of someone who knows that without a doubt he's right. There's no way Eddie could hurt a fly in real life. He may be able to absolutely decimate them in dnd but that was different. ]
[ Eddie shrugs right back, but he can't help the tiniest hint of a smile that worms its way onto his face. He's missed this, the light bantering, the hanging out and just dicking around. It's almost enough to let him forget what had brought him onto Gareth's doorstep in the first place.
His smile turns into a much more visible frown, although he does appreciate Gareth's vote of confidence. ]
I will. [ He has his doubts that the court of public opinion will ever change, though. The truth is too impossible to explain. It's much easier for everyone to believe he's a vessel for Satan than to accept that there's a psychic serial killer on the loose that's determined to make his way back into Hawkins. ] Though, to be perfectly honest? I'm not sure I'm gonna be sticking around much longer after all of this is sorted out.
[ He always did have plans to leave Hawkins behind, even before he had been accused of being a murderer. He just wish leaving Hawkins behind didn't also mean leaving everyone else. ]
[ Gareth will just blame the mouthful of food for the way he stumbles on his words. Eddie doesn't need to know how his words make Gareth's heart sink. He knew it was going to happen eventually. He knew that Eddie would graduate and be out of Hawkins, he just hoped it happened at the same time as him so they could go together.
This was different though, this wasn't graduation...this was Eddie going on the run. ]
Indianapolis? I mean I know we always talked about you getting a place out there.
[ He pointedly ignores the slight shake to his hand and instead shovels more meatloaf into his mouth before downing more soda. ]
[ It doesn't escape Eddie's notice the way Gareth reacted. He kind of expected it, after all. He doesn't like the idea of leaving the rest of the band, the rest of Hellfire behind, but he knows even if his name gets cleared, he wouldn't be able to look at Hawkins the same again.
The way everyone rallied to the cause of tracking him down, that's just not something he's ever going to forget. ]
Yeah, or maybe even further. If I can wrangle enough cash together.
[ He's not sure how he's going to make this work without finishing high school, but it's not like he'd survive the rest of high school. He wouldn't trust his teachers not to fail him again simply because of what happened, too. ]
But, um. Let's take it one step at a time, yeah?
[ Because there's no point in looking that far ahead when there's no guarantee Eddie will even be able to get his name cleared. And if he doesn't, then he's going to have to tread very carefully to get the hell out of Hawkins without being caught. ]
[ Of course Eddie of all people would pick up on the fact that Gareth wasn't happy about everything.]
Right, I mean sure.
[ Gareth sets about finishing his portion of the food and his soda before he finally says something again. Cleaning off his fork to set on his bedside table before scooting back to rest against his pillow, pulling his knees up to his chest, he stared at Eddie for a bit. ]
So...what's the plan from here? I wanna help, Eddie. And don't sit there and tell me I can't because I'll be damned if I'm not allowed to help my best friend escape an angry mob of idiots.
[ Even after all he's been through, Eddie still has known Gareth for way too long to not pick up on that. He wishes he could reassure Gareth that he'll still stay in touch, but he doesn't even know if he can promise that.
A part of him just wants to disappear, become nothing more than a memory. While the other part just wants everything to go back to normal, so he can go back to pretending he didn't just almost die in an alternate dimension. ]
I don't know. [ His voice sounds strained. He doesn't want to put Gareth in any more danger than he already has; it had already been bad enough, the damage Jason Carver did while seeking out Eddie and Dustin. ] If we can get a message to Henderson..
[ But even that feels like it's risking a lot. Dustin is awful at keeping his mouth shut, and even worse at lying convincingly. He can't put all of that on the poor kid. ] Or, I don't know. Think you could get to Buckley or Harrington?
[ This was a bad idea. A really, terribly bad idea. But at least he can count on Steve to keep his mouth shut, and to drive him out of town safely. And Robin, he feels a surprising amount of kinship with, after everything. If nothing else, they deserve to know he's still alive...right? ]
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So he doesn't think too much about the fact that his wounds don't really line up with anything from this area, much less this realm. ]
You wouldn't believe me. [ He closes his eyes and draws in a deep breath, but closing his eyes just brings back the flapping of wings, a tendril around his neck, choking him, and he flinches. The mark around his neck looks like he tried to hang himself, which isn't too far from the truth considering the whole thing had felt like a suicide mission that he shouldn't have survived. ]
I wouldn't believe me. Shit's really fucked up. Like seriously fucked up, man. There's another plane of existence underneath Hawkins kind of fucked up.
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[ He trails off when he hears Eddie talk about....another plane of existence? He sort of gives a humorless laugh and rolls his eyes. ]
Sure you haven't had a bit too much of your own stash trying to fight off the pain? You sound a little delusional there bud.
[ He manages to get the wounds mostly cleaned up and bandaged properly. Thank you boy scouts, he had only been in it because his mother demanded it...but in the end it came in handy so oh well. After he gets that done he looks Eddie over more, eyes falling on the marks on his neck before softening. He can't help but think the worst, can't help but see them and think of a noose around Eddie's throat. He can't help but imagine Jason and his idiots on a witch hunt and lynching his best friend. It makes his eyes sting and he ducks his head to hide the wetness that collects before he grabs the cleaning supplies and sets to work on his friends neck next.
The irregular and random pattern of the wounds on his sides didn't make sense. Not for a mob attack. They really did look like some sort of animal but one that Gareth had never seen before.
But there was no way Eddie was serious right? ]
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He can't blame Gareth for not believing him. He doesn't really have proof beyond the scarring, but at the end of the day, he would rather have Gareth not believe him than have the demobats flooding into the real world. ]
Yeah, no, I haven't smoked for a couple weeks, man. Sad to say I did not get to grab my stash before I went on the run. [ He offers Gareth a sad smile as he lets his friend continue to patch him up. It's when he reaches his neck that he flinches, and disassociates as he finds himself mentally returning back to being torn apart.
It's honestly a miracle he's here right now, and he knows it. ]
Look, you know as well as I do that there are no fault lines. The thing that killed all those people, the ones that they're blaming on me? He's who we have to thank for there being giant craters in the middle of Hawkins.
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Okay...so...that's a lot.
[ He finally gets a moment to process and it's hard. His brow is furrowed as his hands fall to rest on Eddie's knees absently. ]
So you're saying there's some weird alternate dimension and something from that other side was killing people and...what...opened like gates or something to that other side and those are the craters that appeared with the earthquakes? Do I have all that right?
[ Standing Gareth sort of ran a hand through his hair and paced a bit. ]
That's a lot of weird to take in, Eds. Even for Hawkins.
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He supposes that's now something Eddie has to worry about as well. ]
Yeah, trust me, I wish that weren't all true, but. I saw with my own eyes. I saw these people float above me, it's. [ He trails off as he gets a distant look in his eye, the images of Chrissy floating, Patrick floating, and the unnatural way their bodies were manipulated by a seemingly invisible force. ]
I know what I saw. And I know it sounds completely insane, but I really need you to believe me. Because the only other people who do know what's going on think that I'm dead and I need them to continue thinking that.
[ His voice cracks as he speaks, and as he talks about Steve, Dustin, and the rest of the party, he looks right at Gareth with a pleading look, his eyes shimmering with frustrated tears. ]
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[ Finishing up what he was doing, Gareth stood and moved to instead sit next to Eddie, a hand on the others shoulder gripping tightly. He's trying to be reassuring, trying to help Eddie know that he was there for him. ]
Why do people need to think you're dead? I mean, do they think you committed the murders? Because fuck them if so.
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It's still taking him some time to process that it's okay to let people help them if they want to, that he doesn't have to be on the run, alone. ]
Thank fucking god, because if you didn't... [ Well, he would have probably been able to get the others to convince Gareth, but then that would defeat the whole purpose of trying to pretend he was dead. ]
Jason had the whole town after me, with pitchforks and everything. That's why it's better this way. [ Eddie's voice cracks as he speaks, and he winces at how pathetic it sounds. ]
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[ Gareth sighed as he shook his head. ]
Jason's one of those people that went missing when the earthquake hit...and I mean...at least here your safe. Mom doesn't think you did it, any of it. Doesn't think you could. Step-dick doesn't get a say in things.
[ Continuing to grip the others shoulder the drummer forces a smile on his lips, more for Eddie's sake than his own. ]
Point is you're safe here, not letting any of those idiots near you. If anyone has a problem they'll have to go through me and the rest of Hellfire. We've always got you back, Eds. But...there are people out there that are worried about you. What about your uncle? Or Henderson? The kid was frantic looking for you.
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He takes his opposite arm and places a hand over Gareth's on his shoulder in response, patting it in thanks before curling his fingers around Gareth's and giving it a squeeze. It hits him in that moment, just how tired he really is. ]
Thank you. [ He smiles sadly as he thinks of Dustin, of his uncle. Maybe there isn't any harm in at least letting them know he's alive. ]
If there's a way we can let them know without alerting the whole town, maybe. [ It's probably safer for them not to know, but if the pitchforks were called off after Jason's "disappearance" then maybe there's little to worry about. ] I just don't want them to get caught in any crossfire if people find out I'm alive and want to hunt me down again.
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[ Squeezing Eddie's arm again Gareth let's go and instead grabs for his friends hand. He doesn't really think anything about it as he holds Eddie's hand. There's so much going on right now, being able to touch and know that Eddie is safe is all that Gareth can care about. ]
You look like you might pass out but...do you want something to eat? I brought up some Twinkies and soda...it's not much but I figure a real meal might have to wait until after mom makes dinner and they go to bed.
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Oh, yeah, food would be awesome. [ As if on cue, his stomach started growling, and Eddie smiles sheepishly with a squeeze of Gareth's hand. ] Kind of haven't eaten in, uh, probably days by now.
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Just don't fill up on them, I think mom is making meatloaf tonight. So there will definitely be enough for me to snag you some later.
[ And he wasn't going anywhere until he had to grab them food, something told him his best friend needed him so he was there. Running a thumb over sharp knuckles and cold rings, Gareth waited quietly while Eddie dug into the junk food. ]
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He wonders if Gareth is even aware he's doing it. ]
Shit, meatloaf? Definitely have to save some room for that, then.
[ Considering the mostly "real" last meal he had was Spaghetti-O's out of a can, he will eat just about anything at this point. Still, he gives Gareth's hand a squeeze as a sign that he's teasing at least a little before he started in on a twinkie.
And shit, once he starts, it's hard to eat politely. He hadn't realized how ravenous he's been feeling until now, and practically shoves the rest of the pastry into his mouth. ]
Sorry, you are definitely not seeing me at my best. [ He doesn't have a free hand to pull his hair in front of his face and hide behind, so the blush he's currently sporting is on full display. ]
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Eds, don't worry about it, okay? You know you don't gotta pretend around me.
[ Instead of judging the other, Gareth just snags one of the yellow confections for himself and sips at his soda.
If he looks conflicted it's because he is. On one hand he wants to tell his mom that Eddie is there so that he can just bring the other up something to eat without having to eat downstairs, he wants to make sure the other gets what he needs instead of letting him devour a bunch of empty calories and sugar. But at the same time he knows he can't, not yet. Not with how much of a dick his stepdad is and not with Eddie still wanted for murder. ]
Just don't make yourself sick, yeah?
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He's not even sure Gareth realizes he's doing any of this, tells himself it's just because he thought he'd lost Eddie and needs that connection, to make sure Eddie really is here, alive. ]
Yeah, wouldn't that be terrible, survive demonic bats only to die by processed sugar. [ He shoots Gareth a sly smile before eating the rest of the pastry, a little more slowly this time so as not to give himself too much of a sugar rush. ]
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[ Rolling his eyes with a quiet laugh Gareth pulled his hand back after a bit, finally satisfied that the other wasn't going anywhere, and meandered over to his shelf of terrariums. Specifically turning off his 'day lights' before checking the pump on one with a water fixture before moving back to his desk to clean up the mess he had made pulling Eddie through the window.
When he heard his mom call from downstairs he froze, eyes darting to Eddie before calling back that he'd be right down. ]
Stay here, I'll bring up some food as soon as I can. I'll just...I'll tell her I'm not feeling up to being at the table....with things the way they are she's been pretty cool about it.
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He can't help but watch as Gareth starts inspecting his terrariums. It's something so painfully normal, which Eddie needs right now. He needs a distraction from the reality that's lurking just outside, in the cracks that have effectively carved up Hawkins and gave Vecna a way into their world.
It's only a matter of time.
He's jolted out of his spiraling thoughts by Gareth's mom calling him down for dinner. He frowns with a nod. ]
Yeah, no, of course. Just. [ He's not sure why he even wants to tell Gareth to be careful. It's just going down to dinner, making up an excuse to bring food up for Eddie. It's not like there's the danger of the Upside Down, or that he's going to ruin his relationship with his family by harboring a fugitive or anything.
Shit, he needs to stop panicking before he does something stupid like try to slip out of Gareth's house while he's still clearly healing. ]
Come back soon, yeah?
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[ Giving Eddie a reassuring smile, Gareth dipped out the door and headed down for dinner. It took a bit of convincing but before long he was able to talk his mom into letting him take his dinner upstairs. He hated lying to her but with his stepdad in the house he really couldn't tell her that Eddie was in fact alive and well and hiding out in his bedroom. Instead he waited until she was sitting down and grabbed his plate, adding more meatloaf and mashed potatoes, siting that he was really hungry, and slid an extra fork up his sleeve before heading back up. ]
Tadaa~
[ Stepping in and closing the door, Gareth made his way over holding out the extra fork as he set the plate down and plopped down on the other side of it from Eddie to start digging in. ]
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He should probably have thought of the possible consequences of dragging Gareth into this before he decided to bother him in the first place.
Before he could think any further, though, Gareth reappears, and a small smile creeps across Eddie's face as he accepts the fork and tries his best to eat at least somewhat slowly. ]
Your mom still makes the best damn meals.
[ Which isn't a surprise, given that Eddie doesn't have much to compare it to. Wayne usually works nights, so he prepares his own meals, usually from a can. Before he lived with Wayne, his mom died when he was young, and his dad hardly tried to cook, usually supplying him with TV dinners. So, more often than not, Gareth's mom was the one who made sure he was eating somewhat healthy. ]
I'd say give her my regards, but, well...
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[ Smiling Gareth just shrugged. It was nice to know that his friend was eating, something he always feels better about. He'd always blame his mom for why Eddie got sent home with food or invited over for dinner when part of it was him. He worried and wanted his best friend to have something more than canned foods or tv dinners. ]
You can tell her once we figure all this bullshit out. Because fuck those guys, my best friend isn't a killer.
[ It's said with the confidence of someone who knows that without a doubt he's right. There's no way Eddie could hurt a fly in real life. He may be able to absolutely decimate them in dnd but that was different. ]
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His smile turns into a much more visible frown, although he does appreciate Gareth's vote of confidence. ]
I will. [ He has his doubts that the court of public opinion will ever change, though. The truth is too impossible to explain. It's much easier for everyone to believe he's a vessel for Satan than to accept that there's a psychic serial killer on the loose that's determined to make his way back into Hawkins. ] Though, to be perfectly honest? I'm not sure I'm gonna be sticking around much longer after all of this is sorted out.
[ He always did have plans to leave Hawkins behind, even before he had been accused of being a murderer. He just wish leaving Hawkins behind didn't also mean leaving everyone else. ]
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[ Gareth will just blame the mouthful of food for the way he stumbles on his words. Eddie doesn't need to know how his words make Gareth's heart sink. He knew it was going to happen eventually. He knew that Eddie would graduate and be out of Hawkins, he just hoped it happened at the same time as him so they could go together.
This was different though, this wasn't graduation...this was Eddie going on the run. ]
Indianapolis? I mean I know we always talked about you getting a place out there.
[ He pointedly ignores the slight shake to his hand and instead shovels more meatloaf into his mouth before downing more soda. ]
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The way everyone rallied to the cause of tracking him down, that's just not something he's ever going to forget. ]
Yeah, or maybe even further. If I can wrangle enough cash together.
[ He's not sure how he's going to make this work without finishing high school, but it's not like he'd survive the rest of high school. He wouldn't trust his teachers not to fail him again simply because of what happened, too. ]
But, um. Let's take it one step at a time, yeah?
[ Because there's no point in looking that far ahead when there's no guarantee Eddie will even be able to get his name cleared. And if he doesn't, then he's going to have to tread very carefully to get the hell out of Hawkins without being caught. ]
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Right, I mean sure.
[ Gareth sets about finishing his portion of the food and his soda before he finally says something again. Cleaning off his fork to set on his bedside table before scooting back to rest against his pillow, pulling his knees up to his chest, he stared at Eddie for a bit. ]
So...what's the plan from here? I wanna help, Eddie. And don't sit there and tell me I can't because I'll be damned if I'm not allowed to help my best friend escape an angry mob of idiots.
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A part of him just wants to disappear, become nothing more than a memory. While the other part just wants everything to go back to normal, so he can go back to pretending he didn't just almost die in an alternate dimension. ]
I don't know. [ His voice sounds strained. He doesn't want to put Gareth in any more danger than he already has; it had already been bad enough, the damage Jason Carver did while seeking out Eddie and Dustin. ] If we can get a message to Henderson..
[ But even that feels like it's risking a lot. Dustin is awful at keeping his mouth shut, and even worse at lying convincingly. He can't put all of that on the poor kid. ] Or, I don't know. Think you could get to Buckley or Harrington?
[ This was a bad idea. A really, terribly bad idea. But at least he can count on Steve to keep his mouth shut, and to drive him out of town safely. And Robin, he feels a surprising amount of kinship with, after everything. If nothing else, they deserve to know he's still alive...right? ]
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