𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲

xix. four chimes.

The creature just stared at them as Robin lights another molotov she tossed at him. James lights another, throwing it as Nancy stepped closer, shooting off the gun, then another. And another as Vecna kept backing away, grunting. James watched in awe as she shoots him once more, it throws him out the window. Nancy slowly lowered the gun. "That was so epic!" James said and Nancy turns to them.

"He's still down there." She says and the four immediately rushed down the stairs, past the attic door. Down the other staircase and out the front door, stumbling upon the burning pieces of wood, blood on the ground but no Vecna in sight so James looks at Nancy.

"Why didn't you aim for the head?" He whispers and she glanced at him. "I--I--" she's cut off by the clock chiming. Four times. The four of them run inside the home, in front of the clock. "Four chimes. Max." Nancy said and Steve immediately looks at James who felt his heart drop and the back of his eyes sting, staring at the clock. Steve pulls him into his side. "I--I'm okay." He whispered, then the whole ground shook again. Another earthquake?

Steve held onto James the entire time, holding onto the staircase railing as Robin and Nancy held onto one another and the railing as well. When it stopped, James sighed and slowly got up, "what the fuck was that?" He whispers.

"We should get back to Dustin and Eddie." He says quietly, pulling up Steve to his feet. "Yeah." The other three agree and on the whole way through the woods, James felt like crying. He couldn't stop thinking about Max. Fucking Vecna. He should've taken that gun from Nancy when he could and shot him right in the head.

"You okay?" Steve asked, grabbing his hand. "Yeah. Yeah." He whispered quickly, staring straight ahead before they finally got closer to Eddie's trailer, smiling at the sight of Dustin but his smile dropped when he saw Dustin was crying, clutching a limp body on the ground. "Dustin!" He shouted and ran towards him. The other three are quick to follow as James dropped to his knees by Dustin.

The boy sat up, snot and tears staining his face. "James," he said through hiccups and gasps as James looked down at Eddie. "No, no, no, no." Tears fill James' eyes, seeing the boy was dead, he's dead. He's not breathing. No. He can't be. "No, no, no, Eddie," he whispered, his hands over the Munson's head.

"He--he wanted to buy you guys more time." Dustin says and James turns to him, tears rolling down his face. He pulled Dustin into his arms and Dustin cried harder, in James' chest as Steve slowly approached them, sitting down beside them and pulling them in. James kept glancing over Dustin's shoulder, at Eddie's dead body. He glanced up at the girls and saw them looking sad, holding onto one another.

James doesn't remember the rest, he only thinks of having to drag a crying Dustin away from a dead body, crawling through the portal, rushing out to the RV and heading to the Creel home where an ambulance sat outside, he stared out the window with a blank stare then. Max was being transported to the hospital and James couldn't wrap his mind around it all. "Please drive me home. I need to see if my mom and Holly are okay." Nancy says and Steve nods. "Yeah, sure thing." He says.

Nancy was dropped off first, then Robin, and then it was just the three others. James slowly got up and headed into the back, sitting by Dustin who's quiet. Too quiet. "Hey." He whispers and nudged his arm. "Hey." Dustin's voice is hoarse and raspy, probably from the crying and screaming that they couldn't just leave Eddie behind. "Wanna... wanna stay the night in my room tonight, with me and Steve? I can bring in your mattress..." He says quietly and Dustin just nodded his head sadly.

"Yeah, okay." He whispers. And then the plan was set, they arrived to the Henderson home where James did bring in Dustin's mattress, but neither of the three males slept. Not a wink. James just laid there, on Steve's chest, not being able to sleep. "Guys." Dustin stood up suddenly. "Yeah?" James whispers, flipping over. "I mostly agreed because you asked... but I think I'd rather be alone right now." Dustin says quietly and James just nods, sitting up. "Need help with your mattress?" He asked.

"No. I--I'm good." Dustin left the room and James just watched as the boy shut the door behind him. He just looked down at the floor, gasping softly. "I really hope he's okay. And that Max is too. And that El... El is safe and away from all this." He said quietly and Steve sat up, putting his head onto James' back.

"His leg will be fine." Steve whispers and James shook his head. "Not that... he loved Eddie." He whispered and Steve got quiet, glancing up. "Eddie was there for him and Mike... and now Eddie's gone." His voice wavered and Steve held on tighter to him. "Come on, lay down with me." He whispered and James did so, facing Steve who just caressed his face.

"I--I promised him... you know, that it would all work out, that he'd be able to walk away free from all of this. And Max, oh my God, Max." James choked on his sobs and Steve just pulls him into his arms, closing his eyes as he rubs James' back. "It's all my fault. I should've been the bait." He sobbed into Steve's chest and the Harrington shook his head.

"Don't say that. Max will be fine. She's a tough one." He said and James just slowly moved his head. "She's tough because she had to be... she shouldn't have to be." He says, his lip quivering as he spoke. "She's just a kid." Tears fall from his eyes again and Steve cups his face, brushing away his tears. "I know." He whispers and put his forehead against James'. "We can check on her tomorrow... okay?" He says and James just nods softly, leaning in to press his lips to Steve's gently. "And talk about us?" He whispers and Steve quickly nods.

"Yeah. Of course..."

But in the morning, the two men ate breakfast with the Hendersons in quiet, almost as if no one could even say a word. Claudia was caressing her cat in her arms, James was drinking a cup of coffee as Dustin stared blankly at his bowl of cereal. "I'm gonna go have a smoke." James whispers quietly, getting up.

"Okay..." Steve says quietly, watching him before glancing at Dustin. "Do you wanna go with us to check on Max?" He asked and the curly haired boy glanced up. "Uh, no... I'm just gonna stay home." He whispered and suddenly got up. "Dustin..." Steve says and sighed, glancing at Claudia who just frowned.

"I'm gonna go check on James..."

Out in front, Steve sat by James who glanced up from his cup of coffee. "Wanna go in a bit? To see Max?" Steve says quietly and James glanced away. "Sure." He whispers and Steve nods, staring at him. "Uh, do we take Claudia's car?" He asked, glancing at Steve.

"Yeah, sure..."

authors note wrote some james and dustin mourning eddie bc that "two days later" bullshit was so fuckin rude. i needed all of their reactions to eddie dying and it's so fucked up that they just move on and are happy after

+ i told ya'll to mentally prepare... 😀