After All This Time (Steddie)

Ch. 20: Henderson

TW; slightly suggestive dialog, emotional moments

The morning came too quickly. Although, it wasn't really morning anymore. It was around noon when I woke up to the phone in Eddie's kitchen ringing loudly and him jumping out of bed to get it. I can only hear his side of the conversation but it sounds like it must be Dustin.

Eddie's sleepy voice barely audible from down the hall. "Hello? .... Hey kid, yeah we're hanging out today... Mhmm... Sure, sure... I'll tell him.... Yes, shithead, we'll be there... No I swear... Okay, fine... See you in a bit, bye." I roll around in the bed, I feel like I need to sleep for at least one more day. My body feels like I got hit by a truck. Not so different from a hangover, at least I'm not puking. Eddie comes back into the room, flopping onto the bed next to me.

"What time do we need to leave?" I peak my head from under the blankets, it's too bright again. Nothing like the lights last night, this time the sunlight peaking in makes my head pound. "An hour. We need to get up and get ready to go pick him up from his house. C'mon. I'll get you some Tylenol.." He wraps his arms around me and pulls the blanket off of my face all the way. I whine and try to pull the blanket back up over my head. "Baby, we have to... please?"

"Ughhh.. This kid is going to be the death of me."

"Yes, but he's waiting on us. He said he tried to call your apartment but because you didn't pick up he figured you were here. Which, you know, he's not wrong. But we have a lot to talk about with him..." He stands up and pulls the blanket off of me quickly. "Up and at 'em. Let's go, Harrington."

"Fuuuck off. I don't want to get up."

"Shit... I really did some damage huh? Look at all those bruises..." He leans down onto the bed and gently touches my chest and stomach. I'm assuming it's pretty bad, considering he's being so soft, and it still hurts.

"Yeah and it hurts like a bitch. I haven't even looked yet."

"You uh.. you might not want to." I open my eyes again, and he's looking at me with the biggest grin. "Sorry. Kinda."

I get up, slowly, and make my way to the shower, turning the water on to warm, hoping it'll ease some of the pain I'm in. I finally get a good look in the mirror. "Oh my god..." I say in a whisper, turning to look at my sides, and back as well. Scratches, bruises, and cuts litter my entire body. Eddie peaks his head into the bathroom, and I mean it's not like he doesn't have marks, but it's just his shoulders and a massive one on his neck. But nothing like what I'm looking at. "Eds I look like I was mauled by a bear."

"I may have.. gotten a little carried away... in my defense you looked so pretty... I couldn't stop... and those noises you made it was just... Okay I'm gonna leave you to your shower now I can't keep talking about it. I uh. I'm sorry. I love you." He kisses me on the cheek and walks away very quickly back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

There's no way I'm going to be able to conceal all of these. My neck has at least 6 hickies that I can see. God knows how many more I have. I get into the shower, hissing from the water hitting the fresh cuts. God damnit Eddie. I try to wash as quickly as I can, wanting to make sure there's enough time and hot water for Eddie to get cleaned up as well.

When I get out, I wrap a towel around me and go back into the bedroom. Eddie's smiling down at the paper with the song we wrote together last night. "This has got to be the most real thing I've ever seen. Your writing skills are immaculate. You're sure that's the first time you've written music?"

I grab a bag that I had brought over, pulling on a pair of boxers. "Yeah, I uh... was inspired." I smile and grab jeans and a shirt from my bag as well. "I swear I'm going to have to have you write more for Corroded. If you can come up with this, I can't imagine what else you could write."