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Chapter 14


The following couple of weeks passed in a rush with all the chaos surrounding the events. Some of the citizens who left after the earthquake came back to help with the repairs, others moved away for good, and those who stayed were slowly moving on with their lives.

Just as Hopper assured, no officer went after Eddie and a public statement from the sheriff said there was no evidence against him and asked the citizens not to assume anyone was to blame. Eddie, however, was asked just to stay around until the investigation was over. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the side eyes and remarks, which he did his best to ignore but Kagome knew deep inside it bothered him.

As much as Kagome loathed the way some people treated Eddie, it wasn't in her nature to refuse to help those in need. Therefore, she volunteered to help in the temporary shelter. Half of Uncle Wayne's trailer was destroyed and the rest was deemed unusable until serious repairs, so she offered her house for them to stay for the time being. Wayne had already made arrangements with a friend but insisted that it wasn't the time for a young woman to be alone. Therefore, Eddie gladly accepted the duty of being her companion for the time being.

The first day Eddie was officially staying at her place was filled with a sense of rightness. From both sides.

Eddie brought a pack of clothes and a few personal items: his beloved electric guitar, a couple of D&D guidebooks, and his favorite albums and mixtapes. Listening to a cherry-picked tape with songs Eddie assured Kagome she would like - and she did like most of them - they cleaned the house and organized everything for the new inhabitant.

The guitar gained a place inside Kagome's room, alongside her bow and the framed photos of her family and friends. His books and records went to the living room shelves. The kitchen cabinets and storage now had food and beverage to his liking with additional plates and silverware for everyday use. Kagome wanted to make him feel at home, even if the extent of his stay was still uncertain.

For dinner, Kagome wanted something of Eddie's liking but he surprised her by asking for her favorite comfort food. Had he asked earlier, she would have improvised oden with the ingredients she had. Since it was almost evening, she decided on ramen.

Eddie sat by the counter and watched as she set aside chicken broth, garlic, ginger, sesame, some pork chops, and other seasonings. She picked a few instant noodles packages and set aside the sachets, keeping only the pasta. He asked to try the ingredients he wasn't familiar with and Kagome happily provided samples of the soup and the toppings. When it was time to braise the pork belly, he didn't resist the taunting scents and joined her in the kitchen to help finish the preparation and steal a few bites.

"Hmmm," he hummed as he took the first bite after battling the chopsticks until he got the hang of how to hold them. Kagome suggested a fork, but he insisted on doing it her way. "You just spoiled instant ramen for me." He savored the meat slices with a smile gracing his lips.

Beaming, Kagome ate from her bowl, happy for making him happy. She got used to cooking for herself and almost forgot how it felt to treat someone with a homemade dish other than a snack or a quick breakfast. The shower of compliments wasn't bad either.


Kagome's dreams that night were anything but relaxing. The images and sensations invading her mind caused a tumultuous sleep and when she woke up around 3 am she was glad to be alone in her bed. However, she knew these weren't her feelings. It wasn't as if she didn't have inner demons that would come and go from time to time, just that she had dealt with them for long enough that they could be considered best buddies. In addition, from the myriad of sentiments she stored within, guilt wasn't one of them.

She got up slowly, feeling the chilling air of the early morning. Her cotton sleepwear was soaked and glued to her skin, regardless of that. She put on some slippers and walked out of the room. Kagome opened the door, fully expecting to find Eddie trashing on the couch, fighting the nightmares. Instead, she found him sitting by her door with his large chocolate eyes wide and scared, his breathing fast, and his knuckles white from the tight grasp on his knees.

"Eddie…" Kagome sat down by his side, trying to understand what was going on inside his mind. She placed a hand above his and released a breath when his thumb caressed hers.

"Whenever I close my eyes I see Chrissy, her hollow eyes, her trembling body… I can hear her bones snapping... even now. And I can look, frozen in place, as she dies over and over again," said Eddie in a whisper. He was looking away but his profile was enough to show the hurt on his face.

"Since when is it happening?"

"Today, I think? I don't know… That first night… when I ran away… I couldn't sleep. I thought I was in shock or something. I thought whatever got Chrissy would come after me. Then it didn't happen until… now." He turned and faced Kagome with a lopsided grin that didn't match his eyes. "That was then I figured I haven't been far from you for a while and I thought that maybe if I was a little closer I'd get some sleep."

Kagome's eyes softened, thinking about the many night terrors she dealt with after the first few times she faced death. She would constantly imagine herself being slashed by Yura's hair, melting down under Sesshoumaru's poison, or even raped by the Thunder Brothers. In the beginning, she had no one but herself to rely on. Her and Inuyasha's relationship was still growing and her mother would have kittens if she knew all the dangers she faced. Now, she was in a position to offer the comfort she once needed.

"Why didn't you wake me up then?"

"Being here was enough… I don't want you to think you have to keep my demons at bay. You have enough on your plate."

Kagome looked at the young man for a while and wondered how could people hate someone like him just because of his father or how he presented himself. He got scared when Chrissy was attacked, as anyone with a drop of sanity would, but he was overall a very caring, pleasant, funny, and loving person. Sure, it was all hidden under a wide mane, spiked clothing, and a lot of eccentricity, but none of these traits made him a bad person. In her eyes, he stood out beautifully and his expansiveness only made him more adorable.

"Shouldn't I be one to decide?" He finally met her eyes. "Unless you are opposed to the idea, I wouldn't mind changing the arrangements and sleeping," Kagome weighed her words as her cheeks warmed, "closer. I enjoy your company and I can't say you're a bad bed partner either."

He beamed. Whether for the not-so-subtle invitation or the compliment, she didn't know. What she was sure of was the radiating relief and joy emanating from his aura.

As the tension eased between Kagome and Eddie, they found themselves drawn even closer to each other. Eddie's smile grew wider, and Kagome felt a sense of warmth and comfort enveloping her as she looked into his expressive eyes.

"Are you sure about this? Not that I mind changing the sleeping layout," said Eddie. Kagome chuckled at his thoughtfulness. "But seriously, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Kagome smiled warmly and squeezed his hand. "You don't have to do it alone, Eddie. We all have our demons, and it's okay to lean on someone when you need to. We'll get through this together."

Kagome wouldn't admit it out loud, but it was the best night of sleep she had had in a few years.


They established a routine.

In the morning, Eddie would drive Kagome to the shelter before heading to the trailer park. Some people profusely refused to associate with her as soon as they saw them together, others tried to convince her he was a satanist and the one responsible for the tragedy and she would be his next victim. Kagome tried not to roll her eyes whenever it happened.

While she couldn't change their minds or stupid prejudice, there were some tricks on her sleeve. Kagome wasn't a fan of using them as she found using her powers to influence someone's emotions was too manipulative for her liking, but extreme situations require extreme measures. She would spread just a tiny amount of purifying energy, only enough to make someone release a breath or relax their shoulders, whenever Eddie was seen with her or mentioned in her presence. She hoped to associate Eddie with positive emotions. It was as far as she felt comfortable doing.

Their plans for the evenings changed quite often. Some days, the Party gathered to check up on each other, play some games or just hang out. It gave Kagome the chance to get to know more of Eleven and Will, and Jonathan when the older teen came with his brother. There was some awkwardness between Steve and Nancy, and Steve and Jonathan, but it didn't stop them from hanging out as a group with Robin and inviting Kagome and Eddie to join.

About a week into living together, Eddie asked Kagome if he could bring his Corroded Coffin bandmates home. It was the first time Kagome had the chance to meet them after Vecna's D&D campaign and they took the opportunity to tease Eddie endlessly about falling hard - and bad - and lift his humor about the recent events. Kagome tried to give them space, but Eddie always made sure to include her, either asking her opinion or filling her with information about things she didn't know. The others seemed genuinely happy for Eddie.

They quickly extended their friendship to Kagome. Their playful teasing and genuine camaraderie eased the burden that weighed on her heart. The boys, including Eddie, seemed fascinated with the myths and tales her grandpa used to tell her and she indulged them with all the gory details she could remember, proving a mix of her personal adventures, Japanese myths, and stories her grandpa probably made up to scare the kids. She found herself laughing more freely, allowing herself to enjoy moments of lightheartedness, sometimes even forgetting the chills that went down her spine when the lights went down.

When Max was released from the hospital, the entire group celebrated her recovery. Although her vision was severely damaged and possibly will never get fully healed, being alive was reason enough to be optimistic. A night with all her favorite foods, beverages, and movies was organized, with everyone cramped inside her home. Any tears shed that day were from pure joy.

As the weeks passed, Kagome noticed a timid but welcomed change in the way the people in Hawkins perceived her, and Eddie by association. While most remained skeptical or judgmental, she could see that her small gestures and diligent volunteering had subtly influenced the community's attitude. Eddie, too, had become more accepted in the trailer park, as he proved himself to be a reliable worker and helped around.

Their routine of visiting the shelter together and spending time with their friends in the evenings became something they all looked forward to. They navigated through each other's houses, meeting several times every week to pick up for the lost time, in Eleven's case, and getting to know everyone, in Kagome's case. Eleven warmed up to her and Will had an energy that reminded her of Souta. Feeling the boy a little apart from the rest of the Party, Kagome went out of her way to get to know him more.

"It hurts," she said to Will when the others were somewhere else. The teen turned to her. "As someone who had to watch the one you love finding happiness in someone else's arms, I can see the longing in your eyes." Will looked away. "I was around your age when I fell in love for the first time. I didn't know what to do, but my mother encouraged me to accept my feelings. They gave strength and reason."

"How did it end?"

"Love comes in different shapes. Being with him was enough for me. He didn't love me back, not the way I wanted, but having him in my life was more important than being reciprocated."

"I… know how you feel."

"I know you do. What I'm trying to say is," she looked at Eddie, who blew a kiss in her direction before turning back to the others, "Love is not wrong or bad, it just depends on how you deal with your feelings. What matters more to you: having the person in your life, no matter how, or being loved back?"

"It- hurts. When I see them together."

"More than it would hurt if he wasn't in your life at all?"

Will didn't answer but the answer was clear when his face filled with enlightenment. Kagome didn't mention the issue again, leaving the boy to reflect on the situation by himself. In the days that followed, they would meet frequently while volunteering and Will opened up little by little. As for Kagome, she took him under her wings like a younger brother.

Eventually, but much sooner than expected, Hawkins was settled into a new sort of normal. Most people recovered their homes or moved to temporary arrangements; the commerce was flourishing again; and soon enough, it was time to go back to school.


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