Darling [Steve x Eddie]

Chapter 11

Eddie's eyes fluttered open and a rush of panic immediately immobilized his body. He felt his heart begin to beat faster and faster and faster and fas—.

"Eddie!" A voice came from somewhere near his face.

"What the fuck happened?" he asked blindly, on the verge of hyperventilating.

It felt like the blood in his veins was both scrunching together and racing around at the same time.

"You blacked out." Steve looked down at him, his shirt hanging low over Eddie's bare chest.

Eddie could just make out the blurry outline of his collarbone.

"Take a breath." Harrington placed a hand just below his ribs and absently rubbed in a soothing, circular motion across his skin.

"I am." Eddie lied.

He was too focused on Steve's hand to care if he was about to die, and in the end, that was probably what got him to calm down the most.

"If you say so," Steve murmured, and he moved to take his hand away, but Eddie snatched his wrist desperately.

"Wait!" he pleaded. "I changed my mind, I'm not breathing."

He held Steve's hand down to his skin and made a show of holding his breath.

"Shithead," Steve said, but he sounded mildly affectionate, rather than annoyed.

"You love it." Eddie grinned.

His dizziness was completely gone, but a strange feeling was rising in his chest.

Though he hated to admit it, the contact with Steve was certainly doing things for him.

"I finished patching you up when you were out."

"Thank you."

He finally released the other boy's hand and attempted to sit up.

Bad idea.

All of the blood rushed out of his head and he was left in a ghost world.

"You okay?"

He felt Steve's hand on his shoulder.

"I think maybe I just need to lay down again."

"Of course," Steve agreed. "I should probably head over to work."

"Yes, yes, you do that." Eddie nodded sleepily as he lay back against the couch again.

"That is—," Steve hesitated. "Are you going to be alright without me here?"

Eddie smiled, his eyes already closed.

He could picture Steve's worried expression and fidgeting thumbs.

"I'll be fine."

A pause.

"Okay... but phone me if you need help. Or company. Or, you know, just whatever."

Eddie silently bet everything he had that Steve was fiddling with the collar of his shirt right now. He was also probably glancing over at the door.

He opened his eyes for a moment and found that Harrington's eyes were actually staring at him instead.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi," Steve responded, just as quiet.

They watched each other.

"You don't have to worry about me," Eddie smiled.

"I promise you that I will."

"Don't want that, let's go back to being enemies."

Steve blinked. "If you want."

"Not really," Eddie whispered.

"Okay then."

"Worry away, darling."

"Don't say that." Steve bit the corner of his lip.

"Okay, Steve Harrington," Eddie mocked lightly.

He was confused by the sudden change in their dynamic, but it would help to have one less enemy in Hawkins. He also didn't want to go back to cold exchanges with Steve, not after this.

It had been a long time since someone cared for him, instead of the other way around. His uncle tried his best, but the in-and-out lifestyle that he kept didn't work well with raising a kid.

The last time that someone had cleaned a cut for Eddie, or even just looked at him the way that Steve was right now, had been when he was a little kid. His mother might have been the last person to do so.

He had forgotten how much he liked being someone's world, even if it was just in his head.

In all honesty, he knew that Steve would probably go home and forget what just happened. He'd call up Tracy after work and they'd go to the movies or make out in Steve's bedroom, fizzy radio songs in the background. Steve wouldn't be able to remember his hand on Eddie's skin when lipstick was sticky against his neck and Tracy wanted more.

He didn't say this though, only smiled up at Harrington.

"Have fun!" he said.

"Yeah, see you on Monday."

Steve smiled back and then he was gone.

Eddie closed his eyes.