MATILDA, eddie munson.

058.

the blonde approached him, cautiously sitting on the bed besides him. she didn't know where to go that wouldn't cause him pain.

he held out his left arm, gesturing for her to come lay her head on his shoulder. carefully, she maneuvered herself into the position, burying her face into his neck as she cried.

eddie wrapped his arm around her, stroking her head soothingly. "i'm okay, mattie. i swear to you i am fine. okay, maybe i'm not fine fine, but i will be fine. at least i'm alive."

hearing the words 'i'm alive' only made tillie sob more.

"hey, mattie," he cooed. "it's okay."

sniffling, the girl moved back, and eddie lifted his arm to try and wipe some of the tears from her face, ignoring how much it discomforted him.

"you know yesterday, when you said that if you ever lost me, you would completely fall apart? that it would break you?" tillie asked, her voice cracking gently as eddie nodded along. "well, i did lose you. you died. you quite literally died in my arms.. and it was the worst thing i've ever been through. it hurt so much."

eddie saw the genuine pain in her voice as she told him what happened. he furrowed his brows softly. "wait so, how.. how am i alive?"

"i was in denial for a little while. the others were trying to tell me that you were already gone, but i didn't understand. and when i finally did, i felt my heart literally shatter into a million pieces. you were all i had left. i needed you," she told him as he listened intently, stroking her face softly with his hand. "and i realized if i wanted you so badly, i had to do something about it... you know how school always makes us do those shitty first aid classes every year? yeah, well, i actually listened to them. the bruises on your ribs? they're from me. i gave you cpr."

"are you saying that you brought me back?"

"it wasn't easy," the blonde replied. "i was wailing hysterically, i literally sounded like a banshee or something. steve tried to pull me off your body, but i kept fighting for you. i wouldn't stop until you came back to me."

"and i did," he smiled. "you saved my life."

"you saved mine," tillie shrugged. "i just returned the favor."

"i sang you a song," he replied amusedly. "you restarted my heart. there's a pretty big difference."

smiling, tillie leaned forwards and pressed her lips to his gently. she pulled away after a moment, murmuring against his lips. "please never scare me like that again."

"i'll try," he replied.

"i'm serious, eddie," she told him. "you stressed me out so much that i'm gonna have wrinkles by the time i'm twenty."

eddie kissed her again, mumbling, "you'll still be the most beautiful girl in the world."

she smiled, until a yawn broke her grin.

"tired?" he asked her. "you look exhausted. when was the last time you slept?"

"honestly? i can't remember," tillie told him in response. "these past few days have been a total blur."

"you didn't rest when we got back?"

"i mean, i.. i rested. i've been laid on the sofa for a while. and i've eaten something, before you ask. i just couldn't sleep until i knew you were okay," she stated. she gestured up to her forehead, where a dressing was over her wound. "and nancy said it was probably better if i didn't sleep straight after this. until she knew i didn't have a concussion, which thankfully i don't."