(the nina project pt. iii)

｡･:*˚:✧｡BEFORE RAYMOND'S FORCED to make a move he'll regret, the door gives out from beneath him and he feels himself fall through. There's a click of a lock and Eddie is staring back at him as fists pound against the door.

Eddie's eyes are wide with fear as he cups Raymond's face in his hands, inspecting the injuries. "Jesus Christ, look at you." His voice is soft. "I'm so sorry---"

"We don't have time for this," he breathes out. "We have to run and--- the window!"

Mouth still hanging open and hands shaking around Raymond's jaw, Eddie seems to have so much more to say. Yet, he gives up and obeys Raymond's instructions to open the window so they could jump out.

Raymond rests his back against the door, feeling the thudding and slamming through the surface. He prays it holds long enough for them to escape.

"We can't!" Eddie hisses out, closing the window. "There are two guys outside--- goddamn it, they see me!" He stumbles over, back to Raymond. "We have to do something."

"Call Steve," his mouth works before his brain catches up. "Call the others. They'll come get us."

"I tried! They're not there!" Eddie grabs the radio desperately. "Dustin, man, you there? Anyone, please! You there, Dustin?"

Nothing.

"Fucking hell." Raymond slams his fist against the door, but the impact hurts more than he expected. He whimpers in pain. "There's gotta be something."

There is.

The moment he says the words, his eyes land on the door to the attic. Small room, lots of shelves, one window high up.

"The attic," he breathes out and grabs Eddie's arm. "The window's too high up. They don't suspect it."

"Hey, uh..." Eddie starts out as the two stumble into the attic. The door shuts behind them and they're in the dark, in the same room they slept in, only a few hours earlier, when it all felt normal. "If they don't suspect it, maybe it's because it's too high up. Like, in a deadly way. I won't, like, die or something?"

Raymond turns on the lamp and moves the pillows out of the way to be able to stand right beneath the window. "Or something." He turns his head to grin at Eddie. "Remember what you said about those cringey romance movies? Would you mind?"

Sighing, Eddie steps towards him and Raymond turns around to face the window. He feels arms around his waist and, effortlessly this time, Eddie lifts him. He quickly latches onto the window sill, dragging himself up with a grunt as pain shoots through his left shoulder.

He can hear the slamming against the bedroom door grow louder. The guys are about to break in. The music is still playing, only now it sounds haunted.

"You said bad news first, right? Remember the rose bushes in the backyard?" he asks once he gets a proper look outside.

"Yeah?"

"Well, they're right beneath us. That's an issue." He sighs. "Good news is, looks like there's no one out here. It's a clean shot to the main road."

Eddie chuckles and pats his thigh as he lowers him back to the floor. "Good job."

He latches onto Raymond's hand and Raymond frowns. Without a word, Eddie takes out his handkerchief and wraps it around Raymond's hand, so tight that Raymond winces.

"You'll have to clean this up later or it'll get infected," Eddie instructs.

Swallowing, Raymond nods dumbly before clearing his throat. "What now?"

"Rose thorns aren't lethal, are they? Should be fine." Eddie shrugs. There's a smile on his face and he suddenly grabs Raymond's arms. It's odd. The smile doesn't reach his eyes, yet it looks real. It's not a fake smile for posing. It's genuine, yet incomplete. "Thank you for everything. If I make it out, I'll come by once this is all over. We need to talk."

Raymond's smile drops.

He isn't serious, is he?

To think that, after all this, Eddie is just going to leave him here. He wants to run away, all by himself.

For a reason too terrifying to try and pinpoint, Raymond can't have that. He's coming along, no matter what Eddie says. He's not letting him out of his sight until he's safe.

"You're kidding, right?" He laughs, pushing Eddie's hands away. "I'm coming with you, Eddie."

"You're not. It's too dangerous." Every trace of a smile on his face is now gone.

"Oh, and it's been completely safe until now? Like hell it has! Should have thought about it before you came to me to ask for help."

"Ray---"

"I'm not stopping now." He grits his teeth. "Besides, you can't expect me to stay and wait for them to break in here. I'm coming with you."

Eddie doesn't say anything else for a few seconds. There's a sharp snap coming from the outside and both of them know what it means. They're out of time.

"Your death isn't on me, Park," Eddie mutters and pushes Raymond aside. He's the first to grab onto the sill and pull himself up. "Help me out a little here, won't you?"

Raymond is quick to stand beneath the window. The soles of Eddie's shoes all but crush his shoulders, but by some miracle, he manages to push his legs through the window and jumps out.

There's a loud crash outside and Raymond holds his breath. He can't see outside, doesn't know if Eddie's made it out alive, but when a string of curses spills out from somewhere below, he sighs in relief.

For a second, he's frozen in his spot, wondering how the hell he's supposed to come out when he can't even reach the window, but a head of messy hair covers the moonlight and he looks up to see Eddie grin at him on the other side.

"Told you, not lethal." He sticks an arm through the window. "Come on."

Raymond doesn't hesitate. He reaches out and grabs the man's hand, pulling himself up. The pain in his shoulder forces a cry out of his mouth, but he says nothing, squeezing his eyes shut. Eddie's other hand comes to rest on his upper arm as soon as they're close enough, but Raymond can't breathe.

"Fucking hell, I can't do this."

"You can!" Eddie insists. Raymond opens his eyes to see him smile. "Come on, little warrior, we're so fucking close."

"Never call me that again."

"Little warrior, little warrior, little warrior, little---"

"Munson!"

"Oh, come on!" Eddie's grin grows. "You do this and then we're home free. We can go throw darts at Harrington's face or something. Now, I'm gonna pull you out of there, okay?"

"I'll fall." The weakness of his voice is so humiliating.

Eddie chuckles. "You won't. I promise you won't. I don't know how I thought I'd do this without you. You said it yourself. I don't wanna do this alone." He shakes his head. "These jocks are gonna be here any moment now, so I suggest you trust me on this and let me help you, yeah?"

"Don't let go."

"I won't." Eddie's voice is gentle, soothing.

Raymond's knees barely graze the sill before he falls through the window frame, not given an opportunity even to gasp in surprise. He braces himself to hit the ground, to get stuck in the thorny bushes, but none of it happens.

As soon as his fall ends, there's a hand covering his head, fingers running through his hair. A pair of lips press against his forehead, one strong arm around his waist as Eddie whispers an assuring, "I didn't let go."

At this very moment, Raymond hopes Eddie never does.

He doesn't get the chance to tell him that because as he awkwardly moves off of him and helps him up, there's a shout of, "They're here!" Hand in hand, Eddie and Raymond make a run for the main road, but as soon as they round the corner, Eddie pulls Raymond to a stop.

Two guys are by the parked cars with crowbars in their hands, one of them someone Raymond recognises as Andy, the boy who used to write 'fag' all over Raymond's desk, while the other is a lanky black guy he's often seen with Jason, but Raymond isn't sure about his name.

"Fuck," Raymond mutters as the voices behind them grow louder. He scans the surroundings, eyes wide, before he spots a chance. "The boathouse. Hurry."

He isn't sure if anyone sees them as they rush to the boathouse. If they do, no one makes it known, so he allows himself to hope that they've been smooth enough.

Surprisingly, one large window is open wide and they easily get inside, only stumbling a bit when Eddie accidentally steps right into a random bucket and starts yelling curses. Raymond slaps a hand over his mouth to shut him up.

"You think they'll give up?" Eddie is by the window, throwing quick glances outside.

Raymond grabs the radio and fumbles with it. "Doubt it." He sighs and nears the radio to his lips. "Henderson, you there? Dustin, can you hear me? Jason found us. We're stuck in Rick's boathouse." He rubs his face, feeling tears blurring his vision further. "Come on, Buckley, Mayfield, please! Anyone? Nancy Wheeler?" He grits his teeth as Eddie slumps against the wall, defeated. "Steve fucking Harrington? You wanted a chance to fix things, now's a great time! We're about to die. They'll pretty much just tie us up and throw us into the lake---" He pauses, turns around to see a boat (a boat in a boathouse!) and determination slowly sinks in. "Nevermind."

Eddie raises his head. "Nevermind? Nevermind what?"

Smiling lightly, Raymond turns to look at him.

"I have an idea, but I don't think you're gonna like it."

Eddie most certainly doesn't like it. Apparently, he absolutely hates the water and would never, under any circumstances, go near it.

"So that's why you stink," Raymond mutters as Eddie attempts to start the engine.

Eddie scoffs. "Shower doesn't count. And I don't stink."

"Right." He rolls his eyes. "I should be the one to freak out. I can't exactly swim."

"You can't what? Why the hell did you suggest this in the first place?"

"We're not swimming, are we?" Raymond says. "And it's not like I can't swim at all. Just... struggling a bit."

"Considering you used to live in fucking Australia, this is really bizarre." Eddie slams his hand against the boat. "Goddamn it!"

"Hey, freak!" Jason's voice rings out. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Fuck off, Carver!" Raymond can't help himself. He's seconds away from making a suggestive joke, implying that he knows what kind of person Jason really is, but he stops himself because it's not the time or the place for that. His girlfriend's dead and he's determined to kill Raymond and Eddie already. He doesn't need another reason.

Instead Raymond turns to Eddie and attempts to help. Useless. The engine's dead.

It almost looks like Eddie's addressing the boat itself as he tilts his head to the side. "Nope? No?" As in, 'You don't wanna co-operate?' "Okay! Alright, okay!"

They settle on paddling. Tiring. Killing Raymond's shoulder. Definitely not efficient enough when Raymond feels flashlights blind him temporarily.

"They're escaping!" That voice definitely belongs to Andy, yet when Raymond looks over and tries to see what's happening, Andy is the one who stays behind.

"Come on, Patrick!" Jason jumps into the water, the lanky guy --- Patrick --- following him closely.

"Fuck!" Raymond shakes his head, ignoring the pain as though it would go away. "We gotta hurry, Munson--- hey, don't slow down! I'm the injured one!"

Eddie stops paddling altogether, eyes wide. "Injured? What? What happened?"

"Fucking hell, just paddle!"

They're too slow. The guys are too fast. Jason, the swim co-captain of Hawkins High, is almost at the boat now. Patrick is a few feet behind him.

"Paddle, Munson!" Raymond reminds again, when suddenly, something grabs the sleeve of his shirt and pulls. Eddie's shout is the last thing he hears before he's in the freezing water.

Whatever has him, it's strong, yet it's human. He knows because there are clothed shoulders, Jason's shoulders, when he tries to push him away, and he's not exactly sinking. He's trying to reach the surface, as well. Lungs already burning with the lack of air, he forces his eyes open to see Jason's face in front of him.

He breaks the surface with a gasp, letting out a laugh of disbelief, still clinging to Jason because he's not sure how the fuck to move his arms. "Mate, you just can't keep your hands off of me, can you?"

Jason doesn't hesitate. He throws a punch, awfully similar to that first one back in the house and Raymond hears a sharp snap.

The sudden force makes him gasp and suddenly, he's below the surface.

Dirty lakewater rushes up his nose and into his open mouth and suddenly he's back in Steve's pool, flailing, trying to reach the surface. But there's no Steve Harrington and there's no glowing blue light and everything is dark, dark, dark and fuck, how is he supposed to move his arms again?

Is this really how he dies? He's only just learned about the supernatural side of their haunted little town and he's ready, he's so ready, to fight monsters and dark wizards if it means protecting his friends, and just as he's figured that out, he's about to bloody drown. No supernatural adventure for him, it seems.

He's not holding his breath. His limbs still, tired from moving around so much, from fighting, trying to find any kind of surface to grab onto. He stops moving altogether, yet all he feels is warmth. Too much of it. The lake is freezing cold, yet his lungs burn.

He can't see the surface. Everything is blurry. His head throbs, dull and constant, pressure in his ears and his eyes start to close.

Whatever wraps around his waist is firm, yet he barely feels it. It pulls him up, steady and strong and he places a hand over it, feels around to find long, crooked fingers. Leather. Rings.

It feels like hours. Maybe it really takes as long. Raymond doesn't really know, but when he feels the sudden cold on his face, knows he's broken the surface, he still can't breathe in, water seemingly clogging his throat down to his very lungs.

Dirt in his hair. Droplets of water on his face. Grunts of, "Don't die on me, doll." Hands shaking him, slamming against his chest. Wet mouth on his.

The first thing Raymond does is splutter out the water that's been keeping the air out. There are arms, turning him to the side as he coughs, then oxygen surging through his tortured lungs with a gasp, almost sweet on his tongue.

He opens his eyes to a completely soaked Eddie, hair sticking to his face, eyes wide as his expression goes from straight-out terrified to relieved.

A hand comes to rest in Raymond's wet hair, firm yet gentle. "Never do that again, son of a bitch."

It takes Raymond a few confused chuckles and a look around to see they're at the edge of the woods. His house is on the other side, across the lake, and their boat is abandoned. Jason is getting close to the shore. Yet, something is wrong.

Patrick.

All of a sudden, he is no longer in the water. He's above it. Floating, at least seven feet above, completely still.

Raymond feels himself still as Eddie stands up slowly, helps him up. His arms remain around Raymond. "Is this--- Eddie, is it---"

"Yes," Eddie whispers. "It's him."

Raymond can't take his eyes off of Patrick. He hears Jason calling his friend's name helplessly, hears the other guys, hears Eddie's heavy breaths as he holds him tighter, but all he can see is Patrick.

There's a snap when the boy's right arm twists at an angle so painful to look at that Raymond squeezes his eyes shut. He feels Eddie's breath against his neck hitch. "Shit."

Another snap. He opens his eyes. Both of Patrick's arms are broken. Jason screams as the same thing happens to the legs. Raymond looks up, all the way up to Patrick's face, or what little he can see of it in the weak moonlight. He knows, from Eddie's story, what happens next.

"Ray, we gotta go," Eddie mumbles against his ear, pulls him back, but Raymond can't move.

Patrick's jaw breaks and he's sure, absolutely sure he hears a squelching sound. He knows it's his eyes being pulled back into his skull. He feels like throwing up as the boy drops down into the water.

"Ray, now."

And they're running.

🖇️ 🎬 🕷️ 🕸️ 🎸

｡･:*˚:✧｡HAND IN HAND, leaves rustling beneath their feet, twigs snapping, short gasps of breath as police sirens grow louder and curses whenever ground is too slippery, Eddie and Ray run.

Ray's hand is wet and slippery, but Eddie doesn't release it. Ray seems lost, tripping over branches, stepping into puddles, clinging onto Eddie as though he'd die if he let go.

And that's probably smart of him. Eddie's been here so many times, sometimes to meet his... well, customers and sometimes just to clear his head. He knows that if they turn left and walk for an hour or two, they'd find his van that he'd abandoned when he ran out of gas, trying to flee. Then twenty more minutes and they'd be at his trailer, the crime scene.

Obviously, they turn right. Skull Rock is straight ahead and if they keep running, they'll reach it soon. No one will look for them there. It's not close enough to be an obvious hiding place.

When they stop, it's to breathe.

Eddie wraps his arms around a tree to hold himself in place, gasping for air. Ray stumbles into the dirt and throws up. Eddie ties his hair back with that tie he always has around his wrist.

It's all his fault. He's brought this into Ray's life. Ray was completely safe, until Eddie walked in and ruined it all by his running.

Minutes ago, Ray wasn't breathing. Eddie had watched Jason pull Ray into the water, watched him throw that punch, watched the fear in Ray's eyes, heard a panicked little, 'Cant swim,'  jumped in after him and Ray wasn't breathing.

He almost died. It was almost over. All of it.

And Ray was so afraid, watching Patrick die. He was trembling against Eddie's chest, not only from the cold, kept whispering nonsense, shaking his head. Eddie isn't sure if Raymond even remembers that. It's better if he doesn't.

But he definitely does remember letting Eddie into his house. Letting him sleep over. Making him meals. Giving him clothes. Locking himself inside for Eddie's safety. Defending himself against Jason and his guys. Almost drowning.

This morning, he broke down in the middle of the kitchen at the sound of Nancy Wheeler's voice. Eddie knows him pretty well, has known him for years, but he'd never seen him like that. He'd never seen him that terrified, that lost and he'd never seen him care for someone's safety as much as he cares about these crazy-ass, but brilliant kids. Especially Mayfield, probably because of her big brother, and also Steve Harrington, though Ray would never admit it. Eddie still knows.

He is crumbling and Eddie can't do anything about it. Eddie can't help him because he is the reason. Ray should have just let him escape through the window and run.

Maybe if he runs right now, Ray will still have a chance.

Back pressed against the nearest tree and knees brought to his chest, Ray takes a look around.

Eddie notices it, the small hands wrapped around his knees, one of them bloody, wrapped up in Eddie's handkerchief, the ripped bottom lip and the eyebrow that seems to be sliced open. The bridge of his nose is cracked open and there's a whole lot of blood.

Yet, he offers one of his beautiful smiles, all proud and triumphant, and Eddie knows what's coming.

"Skull Rock. Hawkins's very own make out spot," he mutters. "You don't seem like the type who needs to be here too often."

All Eddie can do is frown. He's pacing now, legs working on their own at lurching him back when he goes too far, stopping him from running away, over and over. "You seriously wanna crack jokes now?"

Ray shrugs. "Keeps me from freaking out."

"Well, I am freaking out. You're not helping."

"Sorry," Ray mumbles. It's forced.

All Eddie can do is keep pacing. His heart seems to be drumming, hard, and it's getting louder and louder in his ears. He covers them, but it's not working. Loud, loud, loud, loud---

"Fuck!" he spits out, fist slamming against the nearest tree. His fingers crack and his rings dig into the skin and it hurts like a mother, but he doesn't feel it, not really.

This time as he walks, he can't feel his legs pull him back. Instead, he keeps going, on and on, until he's beneath the rock itself. Very much freezing cold, he closes in on himself, face in his palms, and listens. It's still loud. Still too loud. There's a whooshing sound, like when those windy nights would make him shiver back in his trailer, and he realises he's making it. He's gasping, the knot in his throat making it impossible to swallow around, to breathe. Loud. Loud, loud, so fucking loud.

"Hey, hey, hey." He didn't hear the footsteps, the hushed voice, until Ray is right in front of him, whispering. His hand is on Eddie's arm.

He almost died.

Eddie pushes him off, hiccuping, shaking his head. No, no, no, no, he'll die, Ray will die because of him--- "It's all my fault, all my goddamn fault---"

"No, no, listen, it's okay," Ray insists, reaching out again, hands on Eddie's shoulders. "We're safe now."

At this, Eddie can't keep quiet. He looks up, eyes wide, until they meet Ray's concerned ones, and chokes out, "We're not. No one's s-safe. Chrissy isn't. Patrick and Fred, they--- You aren't. I almost killed you like I killed those three. The kids, Mayfield, she--- it's all my fault." He gasps. "We're--- I can't breathe, I can't---"

It's unfair how all the oxygen is getting sucked out of their little planet and Ray's completely fine. He's beautiful, even now, as he cups Eddie's face and carefully thumbs at the chewed out bottom lip to move it out of the way of Eddie's teeth so he doesn't hurt himself more.

"Eds, you've gotta listen to me," he starts again. "I think you're having a panic attack."

"No shit."

Ray ignores it completely, fingers gentle on Eddie's jaw. "You gotta breathe with me, okay? None of it is your fault. These kids have been fighting this thing for years and there's nothing you could have done---"

"I could have stayed for her." Face dropping against Ray's chest, Eddie feels himself crumble. Almost instantly, Ray's arms wrap around him and Eddie feels him run his fingers through his hair. "She died and all I did was run away. I should have--- I should have stayed with her, called the cops, and now with Patrick, I--- I always run. I should have just turned myself in."

"Hey, no, no, don't go there," Ray warns softly. He grabs Eddie's face once more and lowers himself to his eye level. "Eddie, look at me. You can't let yourself think that way. If you do, you'll just feel worse."

Their foreheads knock against each other and the guilt Eddie feels as his heart skips in a situation like this almost kills him. Ray's breath on his lips, Eddie closes his eyes. Ray keeps his hands on Eddie's face, caressing his cheekbones with soft little strokes of his thumbs.

He keeps his breathing slow and exaggerated, presses Eddie's hand against his chest so he can feel the heartbeat. Eddie tries to match the breaths and it's painful.

"Breathe with me, yeah?" Ray repeats, his voice down to a whisper. "I'm right here and I'll always be here. Just breathe."

I'll always be here.

That's what Eddie's afraid of.

He's not sure at what point they move, but his head now rests against Ray's ribs, one hand on his stomach.

It helps. His breathing is stable, matching the rises and falls of Ray's chest. His eyes are still tearful, yet that's something Ray can't help him with.

Ray's been humming a tune for minutes now, low and quiet. He doesn't know which song it is, whether it even is an actual song and not something he'd made up on the spot, but Eddie realises he likes it. He's calmed down enough to listen to it.

"When you hum like that, your chest rumbles," Eddie whispers before he can help himself. It's like when he comes out of the shower, all sleepy from the warm water. Only now, it wasn't a hot shower. It was a freezing lake with a human sacrifice and Ray almost drowning. Strangely enough, he feels the same. And sleepiness makes him say weird shit. "Like a purring cat."

Raymond sighs and Eddie wonders if he's thinking about Ava. "Do you like it?"

"Mhm."

Raymond continues humming. His hands rake through Eddie's hair, Eddie feels him detangle it and get all the leaves and weeds out. It's almost dry, so it's becoming frizzy. He's grateful for the warmth of Ray's body beneath him. Without it, he'd freeze in his wet clothes.

He almost gasps when Ray taps his hand. Looking up, he notices Ray's fingers on his knuckles, his lips pursed. "How'd you lose this ring?"

Frowning, Eddie examines his own hand, trying to figure out what exactly Ray's saying. Then, he notices the band of paler skin around the middle finger of his left hand. "Oh, I didn't lose it. I, uh... I gave it to Wayne."

"He wears it?"

There's a feeling that Ray already knows his answer, but wants to see him embarrassed. It's fucking working. "No, it's not his style, really."

"That's unusual," Ray lies. "He always rocks those big rings. Metal and leather is kinda his thing."

"Jesus, man, let me live, will you?" He lightly pokes at Ray's side and Ray giggles, reminding Eddie how ticklish he is. "I've never seen him wear it, no. I hope he holds onto it, though."

"Why'd you give him something he wouldn't wear?"

"It's a goddamn gift!" Eddie hisses out, lowering his head again. Before he can think it through, his fingers start tracing Ray's skin where the sweater has ridden up. "Besides, I just kinda wanted him to have it."

Ray hums in response. His fingers are now in the front of Eddie's hair, moving his fringe out of his eyes. "Any reason for that?"

Eddie considers brushing it off, staying quiet. But then again, why would he keep it from Ray? Sure, he'll probably call him cheesy, make fun of him for the rest of their lives, but he'll get through it.

"Yeah, actually," he confesses. "I like giving away my rings. I give them to my favourite people." His thoughts fill with images of clear blue eyes and freckles, ginger hair and gummy smiles. "Some of them are in our little party, so we'd better see them soon so I can do what I gotta do."

"Oh, mate, that's sweet."

Eddie smiles. "Really?"

"Yeah. Though, I should get to pick mine. I'm your favourite favourite person, after all."

Of course he wouldn't be serious about it.
"I'm seconds away from punching you, Park, shut the fuck up."

"Alright, alright." He feels Ray relax beneath him, guesses his eyes are shut. "Tell me, how does it feel, knowing you probably won't graduate?"

'I want to die just thinking about it,' is what he wants to say.

It stings, just a little, but Eddie knows that's not Ray's intention. So he plays by Ray's rules, turns it into a joke. "You tell me, man. You're officially an accomplice now. If I get thrown into a dark wet cell, you're coming with me."

"Don't complain too much, you'll love it there. They've got handcuffs."

This time, Eddie simply ignores it. "You know, if we agree to kiss each other, we won't have to wait until graduation to see who wins the bet."

He can't help the way his heart drops when Ray doesn't reply. His body goes tense again, then relaxes.

"I'll kiss you when your breath doesn't smell like actual death," he mutters. "Until then, we should try not to die out here and hope the others find us ASAP."

"If they find us."

Eddie knows the kids will realise what happened to Patrick and they'll know he and Ray are hiding. He's absolutely sure they'll find them sooner or later, yet he isn't entirely sure whether that's a good thing.

When they're with him, they're in danger. He can't let anything happen to any of them on his watch.

Also, being here with Ray, just existing in the same space, it feels too good to be true. And once the kids find them, the bubble will burst, the danger will strike once more and there won't be an opportunity for it again.

He should have appreciated those days back inside when he had the chance.

AUTHOR'S NOTE
okayyyyy so. as you can see, i changed things up a tiny bit so that it works out better for my side of the plot. they'd already neared the other side of the lake when jason caught up to them bECAUSE i needed the whole scene of eddie saving ray to happen on the ground so yeah. it doesn't disrupt the plot too much so you're all good.

eddie's pov is my everything. he's just. wow.

thoughts????? i didn't wanna make it too emotional or too angsty because i felt like it wouldn't hit as hard but i think i did well?? you have no idea how proud i am of this story y'all. it's not perfect, nothing's perfect, but it's as close to it as my writing has ever gotten. i love it so much.

we're halfway through the story guys!! around ten more chapters left and then that's it! unless..... i decide to write when season 5 drops. WE'LL SEE.