Over breakfast Steve mentioned that he had work the next day. "I can leave the number for the store so you can call if you need anything."
"You gonna bring back a movie for us to watch?"
"If you want one, put in your requests."
"If you bring home a rom-com, a drama, or a comedy I might actually have to kill you."
"That's definitely not vague at all.." Steve raised his eyebrows.
"Okay, if the comedy is Airplane! or Weird Science then it's acceptable."
"Seriously? Those are the exceptions?"
Eddie shrugged, "I like what I like, Harrington."
"Fair enough."
Eddie helped with dishes after dinner. Steve insisted it was fine and he didn't have to, the same as breakfast, and the day before, and the day before that, but Eddie ignored him and said it was the polite thing to do. And he was a gentleman, after all. He accentuated his words with a dramatic bow. Steve just laughed and went back to wiping off the counters. He wrote down the number for Family Video on a notepad after he was done because he knew he would forget about it the next day.
He kept an eye on Eddie, who was sitting on the couch across from him like always. Since when did five days become always? He noticed Eddie hadn't been drinking as much anymore, and he was pretty sure that he hadn't had anything tonight. It was probably for the best in hindsight, but he doubted Eddie's dreams had subsided that quickly.
"Have you been sleeping better?"
Eddie looked up from the book he was reading, one Steve had found in his dad's office. It was Salem's Lot. "Oh... uh.. a little bit I guess. I mean, the drinking really did help, so kudos to you for that one. I don't really want to make it a habit though..."
Steve nodded, studying Eddie's face as he struggled choose his words.
"I'm still having bad dreams, but I think now I kind of know they're just dreams. And I know they'll go away eventually. Maybe not 100% but I think I can manage now. Plus it's boring to drink by yourself, and you are abandoning me to go to work tomorrow."
Steve laughed, "Yeah, sorry. I couldn't find anyone to take my shift. I'm here for the next two weeks though."
"What?" Eddie closed the book, leaving his spot marked by his index finger.
"I took off for the next two weeks."
"You didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself. I probably won't even be here that much longer anyways. I'm eating your food, and getting in your way, and-"
"You're doing my laundry."
"Well... yeah, but-"
"Eddie, you're not in the way." He liked the sound of his name coming out of Steve's mouth. He liked the sound of anything Steve said, really. "It's actually nice having someone else here for once."
Eddie opened his mouth to protest again, but the sincerity of what Steve had said stopped him from saying anything. Eddie went back to reading and Steve went back to watching MacGyver.
"I'm gonna head upstairs early so I'm not late tomorrow," Steve got up once the episode he was watching ended.
Eddie gave a small nod of acknowledgement, still engrossed in his book, well, Steve's dad's book.
As he went upstairs, Steve couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness that arose in him at the mention of Eddie leaving. Steve really liked having someone at home with him, even if it was just Eddie Munson. And what if someone went after Eddie like they went after his trailer? People in Hawkins hated him. They didn't care what the police said, in the eyes of the people, Eddie was a murderer. God forbid something happened to him after Steve just let him go. That would be his fault, wouldn't it? Eddie was safe here.
He turned on the shower and quickly got undressed before he stepped in, everything stemming from muscle memory as he stayed lost in thought. He always felt so lonely at home. A huge house with no one but himself. Any noise just echoed off the walls that Steve tended to talk to in his free time. Once he was old enough to stay home alone by himself, that was basically all he ever did. Of course his parents got him a car when he turned 16, and that helped get him out of the fortress of solitude for a while, but after all the parties and dates and games, he just ended up at home alone again.
Nancy had broken that cycle. She would come over and study even though Steve was surprised to find out that study meant... to actually do school work. He messed that up, though, so here he was, alone in his big house with no one there. And suddenly there was Eddie. Eddie was different. He was there all the time. He was a certainty, a comfort. For nearly the past week, Steve woke up knowing there was someone else at home with him, and it felt nice. Maybe Eddie would be fine leaving, but now Steve started to wonder if he would be too.
He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. It smelled like Eddie. What? He shook his head as if that would help will the thought away. He was tired, he had work tomorrow, he just needed sleep. He didn't need to think about Eddie, or smelling like Eddie, or Eddie smelling like him, or whatever this soap and shampoo disaster going on in his head was.
Steve got out of the shower and dried off, brushing his teeth as he let his hair dry. He mindlessly threw on a clean pair of underwear and a tee shirt, grabbing his dirty clothes from where he left them on the floor before he headed back to his room. He tossed the clothes in the general direction of his hamper and flopped into bed, sighing as he rubbed his eyes.
Sometimes he would lay awake, unable to sleep while his mind raced. He was glad tonight wasn't one of those nights. He didn't want to know what he might think about. He turned onto his side as he started to drift off and tucked his arm underneath his pillow. It was tainted with the scent of his shampoo from all the nights he had gone to bed with his hair wet. His pillow smelled like Eddie.
It took him a while to open his eyes, squinting against the harsh light slanting in through the blinds. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was only 7:30. He decided he had some time to sleep in a bit more before work, so he yawned and rolled to face away from the window, hitting something that definitely wasn't normally there instead of his pillow.
"Well good morning to you too, I guess."
Steve opened his eyes again, "Eddie?" Since when was Eddie in his bed? WHY was Eddie in his bed?
"Don't sound so surprised," he laughed softly and reached for Steve's waist, pulling him closer. Steve was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that Eddie didn't have a shirt on.
"Did you sleep okay?"
Steve opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again when he realized he didn't know the answer. He didn't remember sleeping at all, actually.
Eddie decided to answer for him instead, "I'm guessing you did because you were snoring when I woke up, and you only do that when you're absolutely out of it."
How did Eddie know that? He wanted to ask him. "How long have you been up?" was what came out of his mouth.
Eddie shrugged, "Maybe 15, 20 minutes. You're pretty while you're sleeping, you know... even if you're snoring."
Steve felt his face heat up, "You think I'm pretty?"
"I thought you knew that?"
Steve just shook his head.
"You're such a liar," Eddie laughed again before sitting up slightly to check the time. "You have some time before you gotta get ready for work..." he leaned closer to Steve's ear so he could whisper, "I think you should stay in bed a bit longer."
Steve's brain couldn't even comprehend what was going on before he quickly responded with an unusually high-pitched 'yes.' Then Eddie was rolling on top of him, holding himself up over Steve and just looking at him. He felt so exposed and vulnerable and.. god, the way Eddie's eyes were searching him right now could have made his heart stop.
Eddie gave him a crooked smile, "What's that face for, sweetheart? You still half asleep?"
Fuck, Steve didn't think he was half anything to be honest. Without thinking he reached up and pulled Eddie into a kiss that was desperately returned. He kept one hand on the side of Eddie's neck and let the other wander to his hair that was messier than usual from sleep. He always liked Eddie's hair, he thought it looked really great on him, and now he loved tangling his fingers in it while he was kissed like he had never been before.
It was so different from what he was used to. Not that he had been used to ANYTHING for a while, but girls were different. They were so much different. Girls usually kissed back gently at first, waiting to see where Steve was going with things before anything happened. Nothing about the way Eddie was kissing him now was gentle. Deliberate, yes, but not gentle. It was all he could do to kiss back and it was messy and rough and he couldn't get enough of it.
He pulled away after a minute, practically gasping for air. All he could think about anymore was Eddie. Eddie, who had apparently taken the opportunity to start trailing his lips down Steve's neck, leaving faint marks in his wake. Eddie, whose hand was making its way underneath Steve's shirt to slide up his chest agonizingly slow. Eddie, who was driving him fucking crazy.
"Shit.." Eddie had fixated on a place along Steve's jaw, just below his ear. Steve pulled lightly on Eddie's hair and practically melted when he earned a low groan against his skin in response. Steve tentatively let go when Eddie tapped on his arm twice, "Sorry-"
"Unless you're apologizing for wearing a shirt to bed, you have nothing to be sorry for," Eddie smiled down at him as he lifted Steve's shirt over his head, tossing it over his shoulder and onto the floor.
"Well I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore," he muttered. Any confidence he had gained in order to form a coherent sentence flew out the door when Eddie grabbed his legs and pulled him down the bed a little, keeping Steve's legs on either side of his hips as he leaned back down to kiss his lips once more.
This time was softer, slower than before, and Steve eased into it, resting his hands on Eddie's shoulders. Steve chased his lips when Eddie pulled away from him again, not that his face was any more than an inch away. Steve could feel Eddie's hands on his hips now, cool metal against his heated skin. Did Eddie always wear his rings to bed?
"Say it.." Eddie murmured quietly, looking intensely into Steve's eyes, seeing into his very fucking soul, Steve was sure.
And he knew exactly what to say, his voice breathy and embarrassingly desperate when he complied, "Fuck, Eddie... please-"
Steve's eyes snapped open to darkness. He sat up in a cold sweat, alone in his bed, his shirt still on, and feeling like he was on the verge of a heart attack. He looked at his clock.
4:37 AM.