[ FOREHEAD ]: before parting ways, sender rests their forehead against the receiver’s, a possible final touch as they go their separate ways.
Surprise continuation of this because I saw the opportunity.
‘Hey, when this is all over, how about I show you what I’ve been working on this Friday at the hideout? We can grab a pizza after and watch Godzilla.’
Those words should be a comfort to Wendy – especially since they are coming from Eddie. However, as the two stand together in the Upside Down and prepare to go their separate ways, those words have have somehow become a reminder that there is a chance some of them might not make it back alive. In fact, there are no guarantees that any of them will make it back. It’s a mortifying thought – one that has plagued all of them since they had come up with their plan. Though it is true that Wendy has faced the horrors of the Upside Down before, this time feels... different to her. Perhaps it is all the moving parts that require their plan to even work. Contingencies are far more terrifying than swinging a weapon at a mindless creature, especially when lives hang in the balance.
A few beats of silence have passed since Eddie’s proposal – his promise to her to come back without saying those words. Hazel eyes flit down for a moment; her gaze finds their fingers laced together. Eddie has been squeezing her hand over and over, but it is just now that Wendy realizes how white her knuckles are – how hard she’s holding onto him. In any other circumstances, Eddie might’ve let out a crack at her about how she’s gonna break his hand – how she’s tiny with a powerful grip – anything, really. But now, the two are holding onto each other for dear life, silently praying that they will not lose the other.
Wendy’s eyes move upwards to look into Eddie’s again, but this time, they are stinging with tears she is fighting hard to hold back. They don’t need this right now. They need strength. Wendy manages to choke out a, ❛ Yeah, that sounds great, ❜ between shaky breaths.
‘Eddie, we gotta go!’ Dustin’s voice from afar breaks through their quiet conversation, and Wendy jolts slightly. But instead of releasing Eddie, her grip tightens around his hands. And instead of going right to Dustin, Eddie moves closer to Wendy, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. Wendy’s eyes shut tightly for a moment, a few tears escaping them and rolling down her cheeks. They stand there in silence, foreheads touching, and Wendy begins to squeeze Eddie’s hands repeatedly – just as he was doing to her before. She brushes her thumbs against the backs of his hands.
❛ You come back to me, okay? ❜ She doesn’t move her forehead from his, and as she speaks, her voice gets less and less shaky. ❛ We’ll keep the kids safe, kick Vecna’s ass, and then we’ll go back home together. Okay? ❜ Wendy’s words are just as much for herself as they are for Eddie.
This has to work.
It has to.