[ Eddie has spent the last year sidestepping around the topic of his death, not speaking of it beyond grim jokes that he knows Steve doesn’t appreciate or find funny. It’s only been in the last two months that he’s actually truly acknowledged it and admitted that it scares the shit out of him. There are just too many unknowns: is he existing on borrowed time? What happens if he eventually tries to go home? What happens if he slips from this world the way so many others have?

You too, huh?, he starts to ask, but the bird interrupts, and Eddie snaps his head up to peer right at it. As it croaked about blades and blood, Eddie grimaces, silently confirming to himself that yeah, Jon probably died too. ]

Shit, that sucks. Either way you kind of lose, huh?

[ He frowns, tilting his head as a bird in the distance echoes that same stupid bat pun again. He can’t say he truly knows how Jon feels, but he has some grasp on the concept. When shit hit the fan back home, Eddie had no choice but to run, leaving his uncle to pick up after him. It’s not the same, but Eddie knows how guilty he still feels about the entire thing, and the fact he has no way to apologize now absolutely eats him up inside. ]

Do your vows, uh…I mean, can you ever see your family again? Ignoring that we’re here, obviously.