Alone - Heart
When Wayne got back early from work, he did not expect Beck to be up and drinking tea on the couch.
"It's four in the morning," he said, keeping his voice down with the correct assumption Eddie was still asleep. "Why you up so early?"
"You're back early," she replied. "What happened?"
"Conveyor belt jammed, so they sent us home early with pay," he explained.
She raised her mug of tea in a cheering motion. "Unions for the win."
He couldn't help but laugh quietly. He had no idea how his nephew had landed a girl like this but he didn't think the boy could fully appreciate at this age how lucky he was.
"Didn't answer my question" he said, narrowing his eyes as she looked away from him.
"It'll take a while."
Beck watched him ease into his recliner and sit forward, elbows resting on his knees. Wayne was not an emotionally demonstrative person but had warmed to her in the time she had been living with them.
"I met with Ms. Kelley last week. She's been looking into housing options since it's better for my case and living with you is temporary anyway. She… she found someone who would rent to me. They have a garage apartment that will be done in summer and it's cheap too and close to school."
"But that's good news…" he said, confused.
"Yeah," she agreed. "But... I haven't told Eddie yet."
"And why not?"
"I mean we both know this isn't permanent and it's not ideal anyway but… he really loves this and I hate when he gives me those big disappointed doe eyes. I don't want him to assume that I want things to be different because I'm moving out."
"And if he did assume that, you know what I would tell him?" Wayne asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"What?"
"That figuring out how you can both live together is not your job. If he wants to make it his job, he can, but your job is to not end up back with your mom."
"I have a date for the hearing too," she said, suddenly in a confessional mood. "March 22nd."
"You ready?"
Wayne watched her fiery lilac eyes snap up to his face and saw her jaw clench in the low light.
"Very," she said.
"Then tell him. Eddie will support you. That's the reason you two are living together at all."
Beck nodded, mulling over what he had just said. It was true; Eddie would always do whatever he could to help her and that wouldn't just change over one conversation.
"Thank you," she said, finishing her tea. "You're a good replacement parent."
"Glad to hear it," Wayne said with a smile. "You're both hurting for one real bad so I'm just doing what I can. Now for all that's holy, go back to bed. It's too damn early."
She managed to slip silently into the room but when Beck climbed back into bed, Eddie rolled over and looked at her sleepily.
"What time is it?"
"Early. Go back to sleep."
"You were talking," he murmured. "What's going on?"
Beck rolled over so they were both sharing a pillow, face to face.
"I didn't know how to tell you but I have somewhere to move to in the summer now. Ms. Kelley found it. And... I have a hearing date."
His eyes widened and he gently smoothed hair out of her face.
"When is it?"
"March 22nd."
"This month… and then moving out in summer…"
Beck watched his always expressive face fall and that crushing guilt returned.
"I know," she sighed. "It's all really soon and I don't want you to–"
His fingertips pressed against her lips and she stopped talking. Beck felt his arm wrap around her waist and he pulled her tight against him as their legs entwined.
"I'm happy for you Beck," he said, nuzzling her cheek. "All I want is for you to be safe and free."
"Thank you," she said, almost teary with relief. She had been dreading this conversation for way too long.
"I'm not thrilled you'll be moving out but… we knew it would happen."
"I had a thought about that," she said, now slipping her arms around his naked torso and pulling him even more tightly to her. "I was thinking… that if we did graduate together... that would mean we could find somewhere new to live... together."
Eddie's smile was pure joy and he kissed her so hard her lips hurt. "I will find you the best home," he said between kisses. "The prefect place for that Christmas tree."
"If you graduate this time," she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Oh I promise on my life that I will be graduating with you, Beck," he sighed, lips moving to her neck. "I wouldn't mess this up for anything."
"He might have died," Todd said, waving a hand in front of Eddie's face, wincing as Eddie slapped it away angrily.
"Leave him alone," Jeff sighed. "It's something with him and Beck so none of your damn business."
"Okay but have you ever seen him stressed and stone cold sober and not eating? Like usually one or the other right?"
"He's right the fuck here, Todd," scolded Gareth. "He can hear you!"
Eddie tried to block out their bickering, eyes glued on the lunchroom doors.
Fucking March fucking twenty fucking second.
He and his uncle usually did well together but there had been a screaming match after Ms Kelley had picked up Beck (Rebecca for the hearing he supposed). Eddie wanted nothing more than to literally sit outside the courtroom doors and wait to hear what had happened but Wayne was having none of it, insisting that he go to school and not harass his already stressed girlfriend. It had ended with Wayne dropping him off at school so Eddie didn't even have his van.
Beck told him before she left that the hearing should have wrapped up before lunch but now it was lunch and there was no sign of her. Every time the cafeteria doors opened he grabbed the edges of the table, ready to bolt, but every time it was some other kid he didn't give a fuck about right now.
But then Ms. Kelley was in the cafeteria and the minute her gaze found him he was running. She physically stopped him, catching him by the arms before he crashed into her, and motioned for Sarah, who had also run over, to follow them.
"Where is she?!" he said, trying but failing to sound less hysterical than he felt.
"She's in my office," Ms. Kelley soothed. "Try to take a deep breath for me, okay?"
"God why?!"
"Eddie!" Sarah snapped at him, "Get your shit together!"
He forced himself to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth and to not spit out every paranoid thought that was racing around his brain.
Ms. Kelley opened her office door and Beck, in a dress which was its own weird shock, whipped around to face the two of them. Her face was tearstained and Eddie immediately started calculating how far they could get out of Indiana before they needed more gas and how much cash he had on him. But then Back started laughing and crying at the same time.
"We fucking won!" she exclaimed and Sarah rushed to her screaming.
"Oh Jesus…" he breathed in relief, stumbling back to lean hard against the wall as Ms. Kelley smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
When the two girls broke off their shrieking hug, Beck and Eddie rushed to one another and Eddie lifted Beck off of her feet and hugged her so tightly she stopped breathing for a moment. He set her down, holding her face in his hands.
"You did it, Beck," he breathed.
"I'm sorry but I think I'm having a stroke," Beck said late that same afternoon, circling Eddie.
"I'm trying to look nice," he said as he rolled his eyes and threw up his hands.
"And I'm not complaining but I think you killed a few of my brain cells when you walked out here," she teased.
He had insisted that she wait when they got home, rushing off to change and coming back in black jeans with a red and black flannel shirt. No leather jacket, no denim vest, no bandana, no chains.
Honestly she didn't realize that shirt had existed and was struggling to connect this look with how she was used to seeing him. She moved up to him, unbuttoned the top few buttons, and stepped back; he immediately looked relieved and more like himself which made her smile.
"Perfect," she said. "So why are you trying to look nice?"
"Because we are going on a celebration date! There is a legendary pizza place just outside Hawkins that I keep hearing about and we need to do something special."
But when they arrived there were no other cars there. And the lights were off.
Eddie hopped out of the van and swore loudly as he read the hours on the door.
"Closed Mondays," he grumbled as he got back in. "Okay… let me think for a second."
Beck waited and soon enough he snapped his fingers. "Got it!"
He was driving since he wanted it everything to be a surprise, causing Beck finally said it was not going to be much of a celebration if they were both dead which brought his attention back to how he was driving.
After he pulled up to the A&P, the two of them wandered the store as Eddie picked up fried chicken and macaroni salad and cookies from the deli. They loaded back up and Eddie drove them out toward Lake Jordan. Beck had never been out there before and it was one of his favorite places. The lake was a lot more secluded and a lot less built up than Lover's Lake and there were a few good spots for picnicking.
Once they arrived, Eddie dramatically ran to help her out of the van and Beck got the giggles when he swept her out of the van, carrying her in his arms to the lakeshore. When she regained her feet, Beck was struck by how lovely the view was: steep hills of pines dipping down to a flat almost mirror-like lake that reflected the sunset bleeding across the sky.
"You always find the best places," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"I'm glad you like it. Come on. We can bring the food down for a little romantic picnic."
"You feel that?" Beck asked.
"What?"
But then a fat raindrop hit him on the cheek. Then the head, then shoulder, then his eyelashes, and then everywhere. With a rumble of thunder, the sky opened up and dumped a torrent of water on them.
Beck had started running for the van before him but he passed her easily as her dress started clinging to her legs and tripping her. Eddie grabbed for the door handle, glad they had left the food inside, only to find it locked. Beck watched him run to the driver's side and start swearing loudly as the rain continued to pelt them.
"What?!" she yelled over the downpour.
"I locked the keys in the van!"
He grabbed at his hair in frustration before starting to work his fingers into the top of the driver side window. The damn thing never sealed properly and if he could get his hands into the window he could probably force it down. Beck watched him slowly work the window down, shivering as the temperature dramatically dropped. After five minutes that felt like an eternity, Eddie had forced the window most of the way down and motioned to her.
"Come on! I'll push you through!"
"Eddie! My ass is not going through there!" she said, pointing at her hips. "Here!"
She dropped to one knee in a puddle and motioned for him to use her knee as a step. He looked like he wanted to argue but she shot him a look so he stepped off her knee, launching himself through the window. She raced to the back of the van as the doors flew open and threw herself in.
Out of breath from the cold and the rain she listened to him swearing loudly, digging around in the piles that lived in the van. Inexplicably he found a beach towel and a sleeping bag. Throwing the towel to her, Eddie started to strip off his shirt and jeans,
He was so angry at how badly this had gone that Beck's giggles initally grated on his nerves. But as the giggling increased to full on belly laughing, he found himself tickled as well, watching her clutch her sides helplessly. Before too long he was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as she gasped for breath.
"I don't care what you say," Beck said once she finally collected herself enough to strip the soaking dress off and throw it on the pile of his soaking clothes. "This is the most memorable celebration date I've ever had."
Eddie grinned as she finished drying off her hair and threw the towel to him. "Food is still good at least."
"Thank Christ," she said, unzipping the sleeping bag and throwing it around both of them before grabbing the bucket of chicken. "I'm starving."
And Eddie had to admit: he had failed wildy at a nice mature date, but laying in the back of his van eating cookies with girlfriend curled up against him, both nearly naked as they listened to the rain on the roof of his van, was far better than what he had planned anyway.
Unlucky number 13!