(It's been winding its way through his mind since he spoke to Sans about It. The presence of It was overbearing, even in Its absence, and Eddie didn't know what to do with all that fear. Most importantly, he didn't know how to tell Laura. Not in a way that didn't make him sound completely insane. He's confident that she wouldn't think that way of him, not really, but God.
Ever since he's remembered, he's been having dreams, and honestly? He's.
He's trying to stop being so scared. Trying to cement the fact that he is safe now. That It isn't here. All the same, one night when it's dark and the shapes all around him start to make his skin crawl, he calls Laura. It's too late to just abruptly show up at her place in the middle of the night but God.)
Laura. Hi. It's me. Are you- are you sleeping right now?
(Just because he couldn't sleep didn't mean that he had to keep her up.)
[The response is near instant. Laura sleeps more often now than she used to, but sometimes insomnia and nightmares make it hard. Tonight's one of those nights, so she's just been quietly sitting in the dark in the room she shares with Nill. Eddie's message is a much needed distraction from counting in her head, trying to see how high she can count.]
I can't sleep. Can you?
[Obviously he can't. She realizes that a second after she asks it.]
(Eddie laughs and it's an uncomfortable wheezing sound. Could he sleep?)
No.
(He's not laughing at her though. He hopes she knows that. Eddie isn't trying to be such a baby, but at this point, he's alone and he wants to talk to a kid his own age. Particularly ...a kid like Laura.)
Laura...What's the worst thing you've ever had to fight against?
[What's the worst thing she's ever had to fight? Laura's quiet for a while as she thinks that over. There are sadly, many choices for her to pick from.]
They made me fight the other children sometimes. But the worst is the bad man. He looked like my father but he tried hurting me. And he killed Charles.
[She barely whispers that last part, sounding incredibly sad about the fact she wasn't able to stop him.]
Oh...(His voice is swept up with emotion at the idea of her being forced to fight other children. They might not have talked too extensively about it, but he knows what that could mean. He holds at his chest, wishing badly for his inhaler, or to be there, so he could give Laura a tight hug. He isn't though and all he has are his words. Not his strongest suit.)
I'm sorry. (He wonders if it's the same Charles. It must be, right? Death worked weird on this place, and the idea of anyone killing that man stuns Eddie a little.
[She goes quiet for a while, with the occasional sniffle heard. Eventually she sucks up her sadness and the emotions she hasn't really dealt with yet, and tries to keep talking.]
(Eddie might not know how to work with his relationship with his mother, but there was enough complication there for him to think that he does technically love her. And as a child, he especially loves her, and the idea of her dying is one at once scary and hurtful. He holds his chest, and pain eases into it straight from the words, because Eddie can't not feel hurt on Laura's behalf.
More than that, he knew the Losers would die trying to keep him safe. And imagining that...
Oh, that was so much worse than just his mother.)
I'm so sorry.
(It didn't sound like one of those awkward apologies. It sounded raw, like there were tears in his voice, because there may as well have been. Laura might try and suck up her feelings, but Eddie was awful at that. Hardly ever tried.)
You don't deserve to lose your daddy. I'm - I'm sorry. (And he wishes he was there right now so he could hug her tightly.
He knew Logan was here, certainly, but he also understood by now how this world worked in terms of death and life. And just because Logan was here, that didn't heal the hurt of losing him the first time, he imagines.)
I'll - I'll try and keep him safe too. I don't want you to have to lose him again. (Stupid, probably, Eddie trying to protect Logan. But he'd do that. For Laura.)
[What he says stuns her into silence. Her eyes widen, and she feels a warmth in her heart that makes her feel even more connected to Eddie. He's a good friend, she knows. But his saying that makes him family.]
My dad wants to meet you.
[She's put off telling him, because she doesn't want her dad to chase her friend away.]
I keep telling him no. Because I thought he would scare you.
[She has no idea why she's telling him this now, so much later. Probably because she saw where her dad interjected over Richie insulting Jean.]
(Eddie can't deny that. Adults on the regular scared him, and Laura knew this. Her dad was something else. He wasn't going to lie to her though.)
But if he treats you half as good as you say he does, he can't be that bad, right?
(Eddie thinks this makes sense. Good parents weren't going to be bad people. Least of all to other kids. Not that Eddie has much experience with good parents.)
He seems like it. (Eddie means that too.) My daddy died four years ago, about, from cancer.
(He says this quietly, and although he doesn't sound sad about it anymore, there is clearly something rather private in his words. He does not tell this information lightly, but Laura is a good friend. She can know.
Eddie called his mother 'mommy' all the time. Plenty of people made fun of him for it, and he certainly wasn't about to make fun of her for it. They were at that delicate age where they were still just young enough to need that softness from their parents.)
I think if I hit your dad, my hand would break.
(If Eddie could even work up the nerve to hit him in the first place.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Voice
Date: 2017-11-21 07:44 am (UTC)Ever since he's remembered, he's been having dreams, and honestly? He's.
He's trying to stop being so scared. Trying to cement the fact that he is safe now. That It isn't here. All the same, one night when it's dark and the shapes all around him start to make his skin crawl, he calls Laura. It's too late to just abruptly show up at her place in the middle of the night but God.)
Laura. Hi. It's me. Are you- are you sleeping right now?
(Just because he couldn't sleep didn't mean that he had to keep her up.)
no subject
Date: 2017-11-24 08:45 am (UTC)[The response is near instant. Laura sleeps more often now than she used to, but sometimes insomnia and nightmares make it hard. Tonight's one of those nights, so she's just been quietly sitting in the dark in the room she shares with Nill. Eddie's message is a much needed distraction from counting in her head, trying to see how high she can count.]
I can't sleep. Can you?
[Obviously he can't. She realizes that a second after she asks it.]
no subject
Date: 2017-11-24 04:02 pm (UTC)No.
(He's not laughing at her though. He hopes she knows that. Eddie isn't trying to be such a baby, but at this point, he's alone and he wants to talk to a kid his own age. Particularly ...a kid like Laura.)
Laura...What's the worst thing you've ever had to fight against?
no subject
Date: 2017-12-01 03:38 am (UTC)They made me fight the other children sometimes. But the worst is the bad man. He looked like my father but he tried hurting me. And he killed Charles.
[She barely whispers that last part, sounding incredibly sad about the fact she wasn't able to stop him.]
I would fight him again if I could.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-02 07:39 pm (UTC)I'm sorry. (He wonders if it's the same Charles. It must be, right? Death worked weird on this place, and the idea of anyone killing that man stuns Eddie a little.
He seemed so kind.)
Did you kill him or just fight him?
no subject
Date: 2017-12-07 07:43 am (UTC)[She goes quiet for a while, with the occasional sniffle heard. Eventually she sucks up her sadness and the emotions she hasn't really dealt with yet, and tries to keep talking.]
My father killed him. To save me. But he -
[Her voice trembles.]
He dies too.
no subject
Date: 2017-12-08 01:22 am (UTC)More than that, he knew the Losers would die trying to keep him safe. And imagining that...
Oh, that was so much worse than just his mother.)
I'm so sorry.
(It didn't sound like one of those awkward apologies. It sounded raw, like there were tears in his voice, because there may as well have been. Laura might try and suck up her feelings, but Eddie was awful at that. Hardly ever tried.)
You don't deserve to lose your daddy. I'm - I'm sorry. (And he wishes he was there right now so he could hug her tightly.
He knew Logan was here, certainly, but he also understood by now how this world worked in terms of death and life. And just because Logan was here, that didn't heal the hurt of losing him the first time, he imagines.)
I'll - I'll try and keep him safe too. I don't want you to have to lose him again. (Stupid, probably, Eddie trying to protect Logan. But he'd do that. For Laura.)
no subject
Date: 2017-12-08 05:14 am (UTC)My dad wants to meet you.
[She's put off telling him, because she doesn't want her dad to chase her friend away.]
I keep telling him no. Because I thought he would scare you.
[She has no idea why she's telling him this now, so much later. Probably because she saw where her dad interjected over Richie insulting Jean.]
no subject
Date: 2017-12-08 05:25 am (UTC)(Eddie can't deny that. Adults on the regular scared him, and Laura knew this. Her dad was something else. He wasn't going to lie to her though.)
But if he treats you half as good as you say he does, he can't be that bad, right?
(Eddie thinks this makes sense. Good parents weren't going to be bad people. Least of all to other kids. Not that Eddie has much experience with good parents.)
no subject
Date: 2017-12-12 03:44 am (UTC)[Since Eddie's already called him her daddy, she figures it's okay that she does the same. It's not like he'll think she's a baby for doing it.]
So you can meet him. Just hit him if he's rude.
[Because Logan's a surly guy, it's prone to happen eventually.]
no subject
Date: 2017-12-12 07:26 am (UTC)(He says this quietly, and although he doesn't sound sad about it anymore, there is clearly something rather private in his words. He does not tell this information lightly, but Laura is a good friend. She can know.
Eddie called his mother 'mommy' all the time. Plenty of people made fun of him for it, and he certainly wasn't about to make fun of her for it. They were at that delicate age where they were still just young enough to need that softness from their parents.)
I think if I hit your dad, my hand would break.
(If Eddie could even work up the nerve to hit him in the first place.)