Right Side Up (Steddie)

You Are Not Cool

When they got home, Steve called Nancy to tell her about the cabin that Eddie wanted to move into. She wasn't familiar with the location when Eddie tried to explain it to her, so he drew a map, like the one he'd given Wayne, and she promised to stop by and pick it up the next day. She and Robin would go check it out, make sure it was stable, then get Dustin, Mike, and Lucas to help them get it cleaned up and ready to be lived in.

After dinner, as Steve was washing the dishes, Eddie went upstairs to take a shower. When he was done and on his way back down the stairs, he suddenly got dizzy, like he had at Wayne's apartment. He stopped halfway down the stairs and sat down heavily. He rested an elbow on his knee and held his forehead in his hand. His head was hurting, and his heart was racing, he felt weak, and his legs were tingling in a most unpleasant way. He'd felt the same thing earlier in the car, but he'd just laid his head back and pretended to sleep for a few minutes so Steve wouldn't notice that something was wrong.

He sat there for a few minutes, breathing slowly and deeply, rubbing his legs. Steve came around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Eddie sitting there. He climbed the first few steps then sat down next to Eddie's feet and dropped a small kiss on his knee. Eddie put his free hand on Steve's neck and squeezed.

"Is something wrong?" Eddie shook his head. "Eddie?"

"I'm just tired, babe."

"So, you're taking a rest break on the stairs?"

"I got dizzy, so I sat down."

"Again?" Steve moved up to sit on the same step as Eddie. He cupped his chin, turned and lifted his head, then brushed his damp hair back off his face. "You look pale, sweetheart."

"I don't feel very good." Eddie laid his head on Steve's shoulder. "Do you mind if I go to bed?"

"Yeah, that's fine, Eddie." Steve stood up and pulled Eddie up with him. "I'll come with you." Eddie put an arm around Steve's waist and Steve draped his arm across his shoulders. He led him up the stairs and to the bedroom then laid him on the bed before pulling the blankets up over him. "Can I get you anything?"

"Aspirin," Eddie answered. "My head is killing me."

"Of course." Steve kissed him softly then left the room, coming back a minute later with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water. He helped Eddie sit up then put the aspirin on his tongue and held the glass to his lips. Eddie swallowed the pills and Steve lowered him back into the bed. "Anything else?"

"I know it's early," Eddie said quietly. "But would you stay with me?"

"Yeah." He kissed Eddie's forehead and frowned at how cold he was. "I'm going to run downstairs and grab a book, then I'll be right back." Eddie nodded.

Steve went downstairs, made sure everything was locked up, all the lights were off, then grabbed his book off the table in the living room and went back upstairs. Eddie appeared to be asleep, so Steve quietly undressed then got into bed beside him. He propped himself against the headboard and opened his book. Eddie reached up and took the book, closed it and looked at the cover, letting out a quiet laugh before handing the book back to him.