the shire is burning [eddie munson x OC]

chapter twenty

For a Friday night, work is dreadfully slow. Willow has to preoccupy herself by completely reorganizing the horror section, which really devolves into Steve and her debating if they'd survive the slasher films she's alphabetizing now. She's currently sitting cross-legged in the aisle with stacks towering about her.

"You can't tell me you'd be able to survive Freddy Kruger , Jenkins! He literally kills you while you sleep!"

"Just don't sleep! I don't know what to tell you, Harrington!"

"You can't just... not sleep!"

"I can to survive. Watch me ," Willow reaches and snatches the movie from Steve's hands, turning and placing it on the shelf she was working on.

"I- No! Have you ever taken a biology class? You have to sleep, it's the most basic of human instinct," Steve is shaking his head as he stands over Willow, keeping watch for any last minute customers during their final hour open.

"Yeah, and I aced it. Besides, nothing ever makes sense in horror movies, stop cramping on my survival skills," she scoffs and places a second copy of A Nightmare on Elm Street beside the first one.

He crosses his arms, hips cocked, "You're impossible."

"Okay, smart ass. How would you survive Freddy?"

"Simple - I wouldn't. I like my sleep."

"What, you're just going to give up? Like that?" Willow gasps, feeling far too offended considering this entire conversation was based on fiction and 'what-ifs'.

"Just like that."

"Steven Joseph Harrington Junior-"

"Really, my government name? Including Junior? Come on-"

"You are so lucky you have me. One day, we're going to be in a real life horror movie, and I'm going to save your ass," Willow finishes her sentence, and she can see a faraway look gloss over Steve's eyes as he softly smiles at her.

That's when she remembers - Steve has been in a real life horror movie. Everything that Robin had told her about the mall, how Steve had been sucked into that world even before last summer. She feels sick to her stomach as she realizes she's reminded him of the event - and he doesn't even know that she knows she's done this.

Immediately, in an attempt to change the subject and reel him back into her, she says, "Hit me with the next one."

"Okay, okay. What about... this one?" Steve grabs a random movie off the top of a pile close to him, still not seeming fully there with her.

"Sleepaway Camp?" Willow forces herself to laugh, to try to bring back some normalcy and continue to bring Steve back from his mind, "Can't say I've ever watched it but, I have this rule that I would survive any slasher film that takes place in the woods."

"What? Why?" Steve scrunches his nose, adorably so, flipping the movie back and forth in his hands.

She shrugs, shelving a few more of the movies, "Why not? Half those camp killers wear masks, and I'm agile. Can you hand me that stack?"

"How are those related?" Steve laughs heartily, grabbing the stack that Willow had motioned to that was just out of her reach.

The memory of the night has clearly passed for him. Willow has never breathed easier.

"Okay, hear me out: if they're wearing masks, that handicaps them. Their vision is probably obscured at least a little , right? And then, my agility means I'll be able to run fast and carefully away. There's no way some freak in a ski mask is going to catch me. I'm simply built like a final girl, Harrington."