#I don't know!! mostly I just wanted to throw Murray into the mix!!

[laundrybiscuits]

(from the same universe as this and this but idk if it can be considered a continuation per se)

Jonathan frowns. “Can you at least talk to him? Like—give him some hope for the future. I think he’s really worried.” 

“Well, that’s gonna be a little complicated,” says Eddie slowly. “I can’t tell him it all worked out for me, because it didn’t. It’s not all worked out. I can’t even tell him it usually works out, because…fuck, Jon.” 

Eddie’s quiet for a little while, trying to fish words out of the white-water rapids in his head. There’s a lot of stuff that he just knows without knowing, and it’s not until he has to explain himself that he can put human language around it. 

“I never saw anyone like us over thirty,” he says, finally. “Maybe even less. I don’t even know all that many people like—like me and Will, but. It’s not just the virus, you know? It’s not even the odds of getting jumped on the street if you’re not careful. It’s…a guy I know out in the Twin Cities got kicked out of his apartment because someone told the landlord about him. Haven’t heard from him lately, I think he was sleeping rough for a while. Got another friend who was a teacher in Des Moines until the school board found out. Don’t know what he’s going to do for money now, I don’t guess he can get another job anywhere near kids. There’s a lot of ways shit can break bad, for us. I don’t want to lie to Will about that. Doesn’t feel right to sugar-coat it.”

“Christ,” says Jonathan. “That’s…really fucking depressing, man.”

Eddie shrugs. “I dunno. There’s good stuff too. Will’s lucky, he’s got you in his corner and he’s a smart kid. If anyone’s gonna be okay, it’ll be him. I just—I don’t know what that’s gonna look like.”

“Eddie.” Jonathan puts a hand on Eddie’s shoulder and gives him one of those searching, soulful looks, intense enough to make Eddie briefly consider having a hopeless crush on Jonathan instead, just for a change of pace. “You’ve got us in your corner, too. You’re gonna be okay too, I promise. We’ll make sure of it.”

“Hell yeah, bring it in, my dudes,” says Argyle, and sweeps them both up in a bear hug. If Eddie’s eyes are a little damp and red when they finally let go, nobody says a word about it.

———

“I think you should talk to Murray,” Jonathan tells him, the next day.

“Who the fuck is Murray,” says Eddie.

“Oh,” says Jonathan. He stares up at the ceiling for a minute. “Shit, I forgot you don’t know about him. I mean. That makes sense.”

“So, are you going to tell me who Murray is, or do I start guessing? Tennis coach. Line cook at the diner. Argyle’s dead uncle and we’re going to do a seance.”

“Ohhh man, we should do a seance,” says Argyle. “Let’s get our ghosty-ghost on.”

“Shit, yes. I think I’ve got some candles somewhere.” Eddie sits up, glancing around his room. He’s pretty sure he’s got enough stuff to pull off some real spooky shit at short notice. 

“No, no, wait,” says Jonathan. “Murray’s like. This guy who lives in a bunker out in the middle of nowhere and helped us with monster stuff a while ago. He’s, like, a really intense doomsday prepper.”

“And I should talk to him because…”

Jonathan makes a face. “I guess I don’t know for sure, but—I think he’s gay? And he’s old. Over thirty, I mean. And you said you’d never met anyone who was gay and old, so, you should talk to him.”

“Okay,” says Eddie. “I’m going to list all the reasons why I’m not going to do that. There will be at least six and a half reasons but I might think of more as I go, so buckle in.”

———

“Nice jacket,” says Murray. “Is it anti-conformist enough, or do you need to write REBEL on your forehead to make sure people really get your whole vibe?”