Eddie Munson OneShots

Tender Love and Care

Eddie Munson x fem!Reader
Request: can we get a sweet fluffy fic where reader has horrible anxiety/depression so sometimes eddie comes over to help her with stuff. simple domestic stuff like showering and cleaning her room even tho he just kind of puts everything in the wrong place but he's there and he's sweet??
warnings: descriptions of feelings of anxiety and depression, mentions of eating, comfort
wc: 2.1k

originally posted at https://thisismynerdyself.tumblr.com/post/690332179032637440/tender-love-and-care

*****
It wasn't every day that the day felt like eternal night and the nights felt like living nightmares. It wasn't every day that the clouds washed away any trace of the warmth and calm of the sun despite its rays shining brightly for everyone else. It wasn't every day that you returned home from a long day and climbed right into bed in your day clothes, pulling the covers up to your nose and wishing away the feelings that bombarded you from every angle.
But what you did have every day was a boyfriend who looked out for you when you couldn't look out for yourself. A boyfriend who dropped everything to run to you in a moment of need, to shower you with the love and attention that you struggled to see sometimes. It was every day that Eddie Munson saw you, truly saw you, and did everything in his power to show you the truth of your worth.
It was on this day that you had a particularly difficult battle within yourself. You returned to a dark home and you wandered through, zombie-like, until you reached the threshold to your bedroom. Your parents wouldn't be home for hours, so it was just you and your mind. You passed by the phone on the way to this point, but to bother Eddie again would hurt you even more. He does so much for you and something inside gnawed at your thoughts, forcing you to believe that to call your boyfriend would be the tipping point - you were too much and he didn't need you.
So you let your shoes fall unceremoniously to the floor at the doorway, crossed the carpeted floor to the edge of your bed, where you slowly and mindlessly climbed under the cover of blanket into the cocoon of safety your bed offered.
There was no way of knowing how long you laid there alone, in the darkness of your room. But the faintest sound echoed through the empty house, a soft click followed by the gentle padding of feet on floorboards as they neared your bedroom door.
The hesitant and gentle rapping of knuckles on wood had you opening your eyes to seek out the source. And there he was. Your Eddie.
"Sorry, I just wanted to check on you. You seemed... off earlier and when you didn't call, I got worried." He crossed the open space and knelt beside the bed, one knee on the ground, eye level with you. He raised his hand to your head and brushed his palm over your forehead and down your cheek. You closed your eyes at the contact, soaking it in.
"I'll be okay, Eddie. But thank you for coming over."
You hated to be a burden, though you couldn't help but be thankful for his presence that seemed to always lift your spirits.
"But you're not okay now, are you?" He asked, waiting to see the way your eyes shifted downward in a guilty expression. It was answer enough. "Right, sooo I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me." At this, Eddie lifted himself off of the floor and backed away toward the door. "Now, here's what's going to happen here. You're going to close your beautiful eyes again and rest. I'm going to go make you some of that soup you love so much and then we're going to spend the rest of the night in that bed cuddling." Without allowing an argument, Eddie removed himself from the room, closing the door behind him to give you some peace and quiet.
In the kitchen, Eddie got to work. He was no chef, but like they say, 'practice makes perfect' and he had plenty of practice getting this soup to be just right.
After a grueling hour of dinner prep, Eddie carried a wooden tray laden with two soup bowls and two mugs of tea, using his hip to swing the door open and shut behind him.
You were still asleep when he entered, so he laid the tray on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed beside you. Your arm was draped over the top of the covers, so Eddie took your hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Y/n," his voice was soft and pillowy. Being woken up is never an enjoyable thing, but waking up to Eddie's hand in yours and his voice drifting into your sleep-muddled mind was one of the best ways to wake up.
Once you had fully opened your eyes, you moved to sit up seeing Eddie waiting for you. "I brought dinner." He reached over and passed you a soup bowl and spoon, the warmth of the bowl bringing you an unexpected wave of comfort.
"Thank you, Eds. This looks wonderful." You stared down at the meal your boyfriend had so lovingly made and your stomach churned. You had no appetite but you knew eating was necessary.
"Hey," Eddie noticed your hand poised above the bowl, "will you eat with me? One bite at a time. We can go slow."
You breathed in and out, once again eternally grateful that Eddie seemed to have a perfectly wired connection to your deepest thoughts and concerns. You nodded and dipped the spoon into the broth, bringing it to your lips and sipping the liquid slowly. The drops coated your throat on the way down, warming you from the inside out. One bite down.
You looked up at Eddie to find him watching you, his own spoon dipping down for a second bite. He smiled at you, proud of the small steps. He waited for you once more and when you were ready, you each raised your spoons once more for bite number two.
And this was the pattern as you worked to drain your bowl and fill your belly.
It was amazing how Eddie knew just what you needed and could soundlessly offer you the calm that you desperately sought.
And of course, as soon as your bowl was empty it was whisked out of your hands and Eddie promptly cleaned everything up until there wasn't even a hint that a meal had been consumed. You sank back into your covers and let the cushion of blankets envelop you once more. Your eyes drifted shut and you laid there peacefully until a weight pressed down on top of you. You knew right away that Eddie had climbed onto your bed and situated his body so that his weight offered a human blanket and a compression all at once. His arms snaked around your torso and his breath ghosted along your neck as he breathed in and out, your own breathing soon mimicking his and matching pace.
But as all good things must end, your invasive thoughts took root once more and bombarded you with all the minor inconveniences that your existence brought on. You knew they were meaningless and yet, you couldn't ignore the jabs each issue took at your confidence.
"Eddie?" You whispered into the silence, afraid that your voice would break the serenity you had finally found.
"Hmm," was all he responded, the humming reverberating along your skin.
"I can't have you laying here," as the words tumbled out in a hushed tone, you regretted them immediately, knowing you would drive your boyfriend away before long.
Eddie lifted his head to meet your troubled gaze. He was confused, but shifted his weight to allow you space to breathe and think on your own.
"It's just- I haven't- I'm not-" you sucked in a shaky breath. "Eddie, I haven't showered in days and you deserve better than this. You deserve better than me. I'm sorry."
Tears formed at the corners of your eyes but Eddie's nimble fingers met them with ease. He chuckled softly but you couldn't figure out what could possibly be funny.
"Guess what, Princess? I haven't showered in days either. So we can stink up the place together and live happily ever after in our own filth for all I care."
His egregious suggestion did the trick at summoning the lightest of laughter from you. His eyes crinkled at the tiny sound and the way your face lifted just a fraction.
"But, if it makes you feel better, I can draw you a nice, warm bath. You can lay and soak and maybe even sleep if you want. But I'll be right here when you're done." Without waiting for your inevitable objection, Eddie rolled himself off of the bed and quickly got to work filling the bathtub with perfectly heated water, then roaming from room to room to collect your favorite towel and your calming soaps and then your thick cotton bathrobe.
It took a bit of prompting, but finally Eddie managed to get you to your feet and he shuffled you over to the bathroom. He knew, after all this time, that this was all the further he needed to go. You nodded your head and he closed the door, leaving just a crack for you to hear each other. While you lowered yourself into the tub and let the warmth envelop every inch of your body, you breathed steadily and focused on each small movement, alternated with thoughts of the incredible boy you had waiting for you on the other side of the door.
But while you soaked and settled into a tranquility only this environment could evoke, you didn't hear the light rustling or the soft padding of feet through your room. Eddie was hard at work collecting your dirty clothes and even removing the sheets from your bed, throwing them into the laundry machine and replacing your bed with fresh sheets. There was nothing like a warm bath and fresh blankets to complete the serenity circle.
After pulling yourself up and drying yourself off, you pulled your robe tight against you and pushed the door open to find a surprise awaiting you.
Eddie sat on your bed cross-legged, a smile adorning his adorable face. You blinked a few times to make sure you were seeing things correctly. Your room was tidied up, clothing no longer strewn along the carpet, garbage no longer littering the side table or pathetically deserted by the side of the can after missing every shot you attempted. The room smelled nice again, a small flickering candle to thank for the gentle vanilla aroma floating to meet the steamy escape from the bathroom.
"Eddie, did you do all of this?" You slowly stepped across the room, your clean toes digging into the carpet with each step until you were face to face with your boyfriend.
He gave you that breathtaking smile that melts your heart and took your hands in his. "I take tips in the form of love and attention. But I also take I.O.Us, only from you of course." A sly wink sealed his snarky comment and it warmed your heart.
You lifted your hands to hold his face within their grasp, pulling his face toward yours to place a chaste kiss to his lips, which he accepted and returned with fervor.
You pulled away much sooner than Eddie would have preferred, but completely unbothered, he lifted himself from the bed and walked you around to the side so you could climb back into your safety cocoon. Tucked safely away, Eddie slid himself in beside you, breathing out a sigh of relief as you settled into his side.
You tangled your legs between his, let your head fall perfectly into the crook of his neck, letting his hair tickle your face as it fell around you. Your wet hair soaked into the fabric of Eddie's shirt, but nothing could distract him from the electric feeling if your skin against his.
For what seemed like the hundredth time, Eddie had managed to use his boyish charm and undeniable tenderness to turn even the worst of days around. You were able to breathe steadily, comfortably. You could feel the rise and fall of his chest and the subtle thumping of his heartbeat which offered the most soothing of rhythms to latch onto.
The neglected mugs of tea at the bedside grew continuously colder, but with your bodies entwined the way you loved so much, you had all the warmth you needed.
This was a side to Eddie that you were fortunate to experience where most others would never have the privilege. This was your Eddie, and if your grip around his torso was any indicator, you had no intention of letting him go.
*****