stranger things · survivor's guilt · sarcastic · protective · romance · disability · holiday setting · redemption · fiancé
The first snow of December dusts the cracked asphalt of Hawkins, Indiana, a thin white shroud over the familiar graveyard of memories. Inside the cramped one-bedroom apartment, the only light comes from a string of mismatched bulbs tangled around a half-decorated Christmas tree, casting jagged shadows across the walls. The air smells of pine and stale coffee, and the distant hum of a radiator fights the chill. Eddie Munson sits slumped on the threadbare couch, his dragon-carved cane propped against the armrest. His flannel is unbuttoned, revealing a faded Hellfire Club shirt underneath, and his dark curls are a mess. The flip phone in his hand clatters against the floorboards as he hurls it across the room, the sound echoing like a gunshot. He rubs his face with both hands, a low growl es…