Work Text:
1.
Eddie's a wanted man. It shouldn't be a surprise when a mob of angry people finally catches up to them. But still, with everything else going on, it kind of slips their mind for a moment. They are in the middle of trying to save the world– again.
So when Dustin shows up at his door with a pale Eddie leaning against him, barely able to muster a smile, Steve's a little thrown.
"What the fuck happened?"
"Jason," Dustin explains as he leads Eddie into the thankfully empty house. "Well, not Jason specifically. He didn't shoot him. But he was leading the mob, and someone with him did."
"Did you see who it was?" Steve asks. He looks out the window nervously but can't see anyone else there. "Were you followed?"
"No and no," Dustin says. "At least I'm pretty sure no to the second part."
"Only pretty sure?"
"Does it really matter?" Eddie says. "I'm kind of bleeding out here, man!"
Steve's eyes widen, and he moves to Eddie's other side to help Dustin as Eddie starts to sway. "Shit. Uh… there's a first aid kit in the bathroom upstairs."
"Pretty sure we're not going to make it upstairs," Dustin points out.
"Let's just get him into the kitchen," Steve says. "Then I'll get the kit."
They lead Eddie to the kitchen table and help him into a chair. Steve leaves them and half runs, half stumbles up the stairs to the bathroom. He digs around until he finds the first aid kit he has stashed there and then runs back down to the kitchen.
His steps fumble when he sees a now shirtless Eddie slumped against Dustin.
"He passed out," Dustin says. "Probably blood loss."
"You think?" Steve snaps. "He needs a hospital, not a shoddy patch-up job in my parent's kitchen. Why'd you bring him here anyway?"
"You said your parents were gone, and you were coming to change," Dustin says. "And everyone else has parents who would ask questions. Specifically, why I'm bringing a wanted fugitive there."
Steve sighs. "Fair enough."
He presses a stack of gauze to Eddie's chest, trying to stop the bleeding. That's the most important thing right now.
"Does he have an exit wound?" Steve asks Dustin.
"What?"
"An exit wound, Henderson!" Steve gestures with his free hand to Eddie's back. "Did the bullet go through and through?"
If not, they're in for a whole different problem. Luckily, Dustin looks at Eddie's back and then nods. "Yeah, I see one."
At least one thing is going in their favor.
Steve doesn't sleep that night. He tells himself it's the loads of dangerous and scary shit they're facing that keeps him awake. It has absolutely nothing to do with Eddie Munson sleeping just down the hall. Nothing at all.
2.
The clock ticks on the wall, and Steve's hand fidgets where it's resting on his stomach. He tries to tell himself it's just a clock, the same clock he's had in his room for years. There's nothing nefarious about it. It can't hurt him. Vecna is gone. They're safe now.
He turns on his side, punching his pillow in an attempt to make it more comfortable, and closes his eyes.
He needs sleep. He's mentally and physically exhausted after the week he's had– they've all had.
He takes comfort in the soft snores he can hear coming from down the hall— the unlikeliest of roommates for the night.
Eddie.
His uncle's working, and he hadn't wanted to go home to an empty trailer tonight, so Steve had offered up the guest room.
If he's being honest, he didn't want to be alone tonight either. Having someone else in the house is a comfort, even if it is Eddie Munson.
He tries to focus on the snores, the sign of life from down the hall, and block out everything else. It works, and he feels himself starting to relax and slowly drifts off to sleep.
He's not sure how long he's been out when something startles him awake. He frowns out at the dark room, trying to figure out just what woke him when he hears it– screaming.
He jumps out of bed without another thought and grabs the bat from the corner before slowly creeping towards the door.
The screaming starts again, and Steve's startled to realize it's Eddie. But of course it is. He's the only other person in the house.
He runs down the hall to the guest room and throws the door open, expecting to see some sort of danger.
But there's nothing else there.
Eddie's still asleep in bed, and suddenly as Eddie's screams start up again, Steve understands. He's having a nightmare.
Steve puts the bat aside and moves to the edge of the bed. He reaches out and gently touches Eddie's shoulder.
"Eddie," Steve says quietly, not wanting to startle him. "Hey, Eddie."
"No! No! Please don't! Let him go!"
Steve's chest aches at the fear in his voice. He tries shaking him, raising his voice slightly. "Eddie! Man, wake up."
Eddie's eyes snap open, and his hand reaches out and grabs Steve's shirt so fast that Steve stumbles back.
"Let him go!"
"Eddie! Hey, hey! It's me. It's Steve," Steve says, trying to sound calmer than he feels. "It's Steve. You're okay."
Eddie blinks, looking up at him with tired eyes. "Steve?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's me," Steve says. "You're at my house, remember?"
Eddie nods. "Yeah, I remember."
"You uh… you want to let go of my shirt?"
Eddie looks down at where his hand is still gripping Steve's shirt and releases his grip with a grimace. "Sorry."
"It's okay," Steve assures him. "You were having a nightmare."
"It felt so fucking real," Eddie says. "I really thought…."
"What?"
"Those bat things," Eddie says. "They had Dustin, and I couldn't save him."
"But you did," Steve reminds him. "You did, and he's okay."
"I know that now," Eddie says. "But the nightmare was like… it was really happening. I couldn't shake it. Then I heard your voice. You were saying my name, trying to wake me up."
"I could tell whatever was happening was scaring you," Steve says. "Now I get why."
"You tell the kid anything about this, I will end you," Eddie tells him.
"Your secret is safe with me," Steve assures him.
Eddie gives him a tired smile. "Thanks, man."
"Anytime," Steve says. Silence falls between them. Steve watches Eddie out of the corner of his eye– can see his eyes starting to drift closed before he forces them open again, clearly fighting sleep.
"Did you…?"
Eddie blinks up at him. "What?"
"You need sleep," Steve tells him.
Eddie sighs and runs a hand down his face. "I know I do. I just…"
"What?"
"Will you stay?" Eddie asks him. "I kind of don't want to be alone right now. I know you're just down the hall, but…."
Steve nudges Eddie's leg with his foot. "Budge over."
"What?" Eddie questions.
"In the bed," Steve says. "Neither one of us wants to be alone, and I'm not sleeping on the floor, so move over."
"Right," Eddie says and quickly scoots over to the opposite side of the bed so Steve can slide in next to him. "Thanks, man."
Steve doesn't sleep much that night, despite his body telling him he needs to. Instead, he finds himself watching over Eddie, much as he had just two days ago when he'd shown up bleeding out on his doorstep.
It's different now. For one, Eddie's no longer at risk of bleeding to death. He's also a free man, thanks to Hopper. He's safe. But he's also dealt with a shit ton of trauma over the last week. Steve feels this probably irrational urge to look after him.
So he stays awake, only drifting off for an hour or two once the sun has started to rise.
3.
When Eddie had come to Steve two weeks ago with the proposition that they move in together to save money, it had made sense.
Steve's parents had just told him they were selling the house and moving to Colorado, and he had a week to be out of the house.
So he was kind of in need of a quick fix.
They were able to find a decent place not far from Family Video and the new record store Eddie's been working at.
It seemed like the perfect solution.
What Steve hadn't been counting on was Eddie.
He's a great roommate overall. He cooks, actually cleans up after himself, and pays his share of the bills. It's not bad.
But the one flaw in this whole situation is Eddie's a bit of a night owl.
Which Steve gets. He knows what it's like to be unable to sleep, especially after the shit they've seen. Steve can't fault him for that.
It's what he does with his time that has Steve lying awake in his bed at night, glaring at the walls at three in the morning, regretting his life choices.
The guitar blares through the house, and Steve sighs. He puts his pillow over his head in an attempt to block out the noise, but to no avail.
Because Eddie has decided the perfect time to play his guitar in the middle of the goddamn night, and Steve is the one suffering for it.
It's not that Eddie is bad. He's pretty goddamn good, and had used his skill to save their asses. Steve just wishes he would choose a better time to practice than in the middle of the night.
Not that Steve has brought it up. He knows Eddie's still having trouble sleeping, and the guitar seems to help.
Steve just wishes it didn't come at the cost of his own sleep.
He sighs and throws the pillow off his head, followed by his blankets.
He's going to have to talk to Eddie. He works in the morning, and he needs his sleep.
He walks down the hall to Eddie's room. The door is open slightly, light spilling out into the hall through the crack. Steve peeks through the door, his eyes landing on where Eddie is sitting on the bed, eyes closed and guitar in his hands as he strums away.
He looks at peace like this. Like he's in his element. Steve knows he is. He hesitates, not wanting to pull him from the moment. Instead, he stands there a little longer, just watching Eddie as he plays, sometimes humming to himself.
He'll talk to Eddie in the morning and try to come to some sort of compromise.
For now, he just lets him play.
4.
Steve's been having this recurring dream for weeks. It's always the same. He's chasing someone, but they're always just out of his reach. He never actually gets close enough to see who they are. There's always a hint of dark hair and a leather jacket, but they always disappear before Steve gets to them. And really, that could be one big metaphor for his life. Robin would probably say it's trying to tell him to stop chasing unattainable people or some shit.
If he actually told her.
Which he hasn't.
He's not sure why. He tells her about everything else, but there's something about this dream that has him keeping it to himself.
Maybe he just wants to know who he's dreaming about before he tells her.
He doesn't have to wait long. That night, like most nights, he finds himself back in the dream.
It starts the same. There's the figure ahead of him, and Steve is once again running towards them, trying to catch them. There's this feeling that once he sees them, everything will be better. He just needs to get to them.
Unlike the other times he's found himself here, he finds himself actually getting closer to the person he's chasing. And he realizes why when they stop suddenly just in front of him.
Steve reaches out, expecting the blurry figure to disappear before he can touch them. But they don't. His hand grasps a solid shoulder, the leather cool under his fingers.
And suddenly, the figure is clearer as they turn, and Steve feels his breath catch when he finally sees who it is.
Eddie.
Eddie freaking Munson.
Eddie, who's smiling wide at him and covers his hand with his own. "You finally find what you were looking for?"
"It's you," Steve whispers.
Eddie's smile grows, and he leans in closer. "You have me. Now, what are you gonna do about it?"
Steve wakes with a jolt. He looks around the room, half expecting to see Eddie. But the room is empty. There's only him.
He sighs and runs a hand down his face.
"What the hell was that?" he mutters to himself.
"You finally find what you were looking for?"
Eddie. The whole time it was Eddie he was chasing. Dream Steve didn't seem all that surprised– more relieved, if anything, and a little in awe.
But the Steve that's sitting awake in his bed at two in the morning has no idea what to think of that. He tries to be logical. Tell himself that he lives with Eddie. It only makes sense that he'd cross his mind from time to time, and that would transfer into his dreams.
But then he thinks of how Eddie had smiled at him outside his room that night and squeezed his arm, mumbling a quiet "goodnight" before heading into his own room. He thinks of the way his stomach had flipped, how the warmth of his touch had lingered on Steve's skin, and for a moment, Steve had wanted to call after him to stay.
How he always wants him to stay. Misses him when he's not around. Loves seeing his smile first thing in the morning and before he goes to sleep.
He sighs.
Shit.
He totally has feelings for Eddie Munson.
"You sleep okay?"
Steve sighs and shakes his head. He can't even bring himself to answer. He's too exhausted from the sleepless night he had. After his revelation, he hadn't been able to fall back asleep.
Eddie frowns. "Nightmares?"
It would be easy to say it is. That would be expected after everything they've been through. And a lot easier to admit than the truth– that the very thing that's keeping him up at night is the man in front of him. Something he's been trying to deny for a while.
"Steve?"
"I just have a lot on my mind," Steve says instead, hoping that will be enough.
"Anything I can help with?" Eddie asks.
Steve shakes his head. "No. I think I gotta figure this out on my own."
Eddie reaches out and squeezes his arm. "Alright, well, you know I'm here if you ever need anything, man."
"I know," Steve says. "Thanks, man."
Eddie smiles. "Yeah, anytime."
Then he's off talking about the next D&D campaign he's working on. It's a welcome distraction. Or at least it should be.
But Steve can't stop watching him– the way his face lights up as he talks and his hands wave through the air around him, almost knocking over a lamp, which he steadies without even taking a breath.
And it's just so Eddie . His overwhelming enthusiasm is just one of the things Steve loves about him.
Love.
Steve jumps to his feet, and Eddie trails off mid-sentence. "What is it? What's wrong?"
He looks around, as if expecting to see some sort of danger. But the only danger in the room is Steve's traitorous heart threatening to beat right out of his damn chest and onto the floor between them, all his feelings on the floor on full display.
"Steve?"
"I uh…" He laughs nervously and steps back when Eddie tries to come closer. "I have to go. Work."
Eddie frowns. "I thought you were off today."
Shit. Of course, Eddie would remember that. "I am. I just uh… there's a new movie I wanted to pick up."
Eddie doesn't look convinced. "A movie?"
"Yeah."
"You jumped out of your chair looking half scared to death over a movie?"
"It's a horror movie?"
Steve knows he's just digging himself in deeper, and it's clear Eddie's not buying it. Eddie shakes his head and falls back onto the couch. "Whatever, man. It's clear you got some shit on your mind, but I'm not gonna pry into your business if that's what you're worried about."
Guilt forms in the pit of Steve's stomach. A great big ball of it. It's not like he can just tell Eddie what's going on. Not when he's just been hit in the face with it himself, and he's still working through it. That wouldn't be fair to him.
"I'm just not ready to talk about it yet," Steve says gently.
Eddie's eyes flick up to meet his. "At least not with me."
"Not yet," Steve says.
Eddie nods. "Like I said before, I'm here when you are."
"I know," Steve says. "And that uh… it means a lot."
Eddie waves him off. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get all sappy on me now, Harrington. Go get your movie , which we both know is code for talking to Robin."
"How did you…?"
"Why else would you be going to Family Video on your day off?" Eddie asks him. "You don't like movies that much."
"Fair point," Steve says. "Although I could pick up a movie for us to watch tonight. Unless you have plans or something."
"I'll have to check my calendar." When Steve just stares at him, Eddie laughs and throws a pillow at him, which Steve easily ducks. "I don't have any plans tonight, man. Just talk to Robin and get your shit worked out."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. I'm going."
And go he does. He doesn't speed, exactly. Just a few or ten miles over the speed limit. No big deal. And he is currently in the middle of a crisis.
Robin's standing behind the counter in the thankfully empty shop when Steve walks in. She turns at the sound of the door slamming open and raises an eyebrow at Steve when he locks the door and puts the closed sign up.
"You do realize it's ten o'clock on a Saturday, right?"
"I need your help," Steve says. "Now."
"Okay," Robin says slowly. "What's up?"
Steve had planned to be somewhat cool about this. Build up to the whole thing. But instead, he finds himself almost screaming, "I think I'm in love with Eddie!"
Robin stares at him a moment, mouth open, and then she does the last thing Steve expected. She laughs.
"Robin, what the fuck? This isn't funny!"
That only serves to make Robin laugh harder. Steve glares and crosses his arms. "Robin, this is serious! I'm in a crisis right now!"
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's just… you're just figuring this out?"
Steve frowns. "What? Wait– you knew?"
"You're not exactly subtle," Robin says. "You've been giving him soft dopey eyes for weeks. It only got worse after you two moved in together."
Steve groans and lets his head fall against the counter. "I cannot believe this. How did you know before I did?"
"I can't answer that one, buddy," Robin says. "But if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Eddie knows."
"Well, he definitely knows something is up after the way I acted this morning," Steve grumbles.
"Let me guess; you realized you have feelings for him and were totally weird about it."
"I wasn't weird."
"Uh-huh."
"Okay, maybe I was a little weird," Steve says. "But I realized that he's the one I've been dreaming about for weeks, which led to a sudden realization that I have feelings for him at almost 3 a.m. and then not being able to sleep because of it. And on top of that, I had to think the goddamn word love while he was going on and on about fucking Dungeons and Dragons. It's been a very stressful few hours, Robin."
"I'm sorry, I'm just stuck on that you were dreaming about him for weeks–" she swats his arm, followed by his chest– "and you didn't think to tell me."
"I didn't know it was him at first, okay?"
"How did you not know it was him?" Robin questions.
"Because the person was always blurry," Steve says. "It was this recurring dream where I was chasing someone. I could never see who it was. Sometimes I could see dark hair and a leather jacket but never a face. Until last night."
"And you saw it was Eddie," Robin says.
Steve nods. "Yeah."
"Did anything else happen after you saw it was him?" Robin asks him.
"He smiled and touched my hand where it was resting on his shoulder and said, 'You finally find what you were looking for?'"
"And what did you say?"
"It's you," Steve says. "Except it was more of a soft whisper. And then Eddie smiled wider and leaned in closer to me and said, 'You have me. Now, what are you gonna do about it?' and then I woke up."
"Oh my god," Robin says. "Dream Eddie totally wanted to kiss you."
"Yeah, but what about the real Eddie?" Steve ponders.
"Oh, he wants to kiss you too," Robin says.
"You think so?"
"I do," Robin says. "Do you want him to? I mean, I know you've realized you love him, but are you going to tell him?"
"I don't know," Steve says. "I'm still figuring all this out."
"You don't have to figure it all out today," Robin says. "Or tomorrow. Or days or weeks from now. You have time."
"I know," Steve sighs. "I just…"
"What?"
"I really really like him, Robin," Steve says. "But I don't want to screw this up."
"What makes me think you will?"
"Because I'm not exactly great at relationships," Steve says.
"Or maybe, you haven't been with the right person," Robin says. "No offense to Nancy. You know I love her. But she, like all the others you dated, just wasn't the right fit."
"And you think Eddie could be?" Steve asks.
"Yeah, I do," Robin tells him. "But don't take it from me. You need to listen to what your heart wants. But I do think it was already trying to tell you something."
"Yeah, well, I guess we'll see."
When Steve returns home a few hours later, Eddie's still sitting on the couch. His hair is wet, and the air is thick with the smell of his evergreen body wash. Steve stops in the hall and closes his eyes, letting the scent wash over him, and he relaxes. It's familiar. It's starting to remind him of home. Not like the one he had with his parents, but something different. Better.
"I'm home," Steve calls out as he opens his eyes, testing the word. It feels right on his tongue.
Eddie turns his head to look at him, a smile already on his lips. "You get the movie?"
"I did," Steve says. He tosses it on the couch next to Eddie. "Robin says hi."
"You should have told her to swing by after work," Eddie says.
"I did," Steve says. It's not a lie. "She has plans with Nance."
Eddie snorts. "Right. Plans."
"So, it looks like you're stuck with just me tonight," Steve tells him.
"There is no just you, Harrington," Eddie says. "Now, are we having popcorn or what?"
"I'll make some," Steve says. "You put the movie in."
It's not the first time they've watched a movie alone. It's something they've been doing a lot of since they moved in together. But tonight is different. Because tonight Steve has his newly realized feelings for Eddie at the forefront of his mind.
He notices everything now– from how close they sit together on the couch to the way Eddie smiles when their hands brush as they reach for popcorn at the same time and the spark Steve feels at just that small accidental touch. The way he can't quite keep his eyes on the movie and instead finds his gaze drifting to Eddie, sometimes to see him looking back, causing his stomach to flip.
By the time the movie is over, and they're both heading to their rooms for the night, Steve's head is spinning full of what if's. It doesn't help that Eddie sleepily kisses the top of his head on the way to his room, leaving Steve rooted to the spot while he's none the wiser.
5.
Steve's not sure what he'd been thinking when he'd agreed to drive Dustin all the way to Utah to see Suzie. Maybe he'd just wanted to give him something positive after all the shit they'd had to deal with. And honestly, getting out of town for a few days hadn't sounded like a bad idea.
He supposes it even made sense when Eddie had offered to come with him to help drive. It's better than driving the whole way himself.
Still, being in a car with Eddie for over a day with only Dustin as a buffer between them is a lot for Steve. Especially since it's only been not even two weeks since he realized how he feels about Eddie, and he still has no idea what to do about it.
"I hope you're ready for the best road trip playlist ever made, my friends," Eddie says as he pops a cassette in and turns to Steve with a grin.
"I'm driving," Steve says. "Shouldn't I get to pick?"
Eddie pats his shoulder. "Not happening, man."
"Why not?"
"Because the perfect road trip playlist should be made by someone with superb taste in music," Eddie tells him.
"And that's you," Steve guesses.
"That it is," Eddie says. "Trust me. Trust the process."
"Eddie does have the best taste in music," Dustin pipes up from the back.
Steve glares at him in the rearview mirror. "It wasn't long ago that you said that about me."
"I've evolved," Dustin says.
Steve rolls his eyes. "Uh-uh."
"There are still things you're good at, Steve," Eddie tells him.
"Oh yeah?"
"You're still the world's best babysitter."
He laughs and ducks out of the way when Steve moves to swat him. "Hey, man. Precious cargo, here. Watch the road."
"So sorry," Steve says. "Wouldn't want to ruin a hair on your precious head."
"I was talking about the kid," Eddie says. "But nice to know you think I'm precious."
He winks, and Steve sputters and turns his attention to the road. Or at least tries to. It's a little hard when Eddie leans into his space and whispers, "It's okay. I think you're precious too."
Steve grips the steering wheel tight and glares daggers in his mind at Eddie as he leans back into his seat and chuckles.
They make it to Salt Lake City late the next night. It's too late to visit Suzie, so they get a room at a motel nearby. It seems logical. They've been driving for 24 hours. They need sleep.
What Steve isn't thinking about when he gets the room is the sleeping arrangements. At least not until they step in, and Dustin immediately throws himself down onto the bed closest to the door and falls asleep starfished across it.
Steve sighs and puts his bag on the floor. He's moving on instinct when he kneels down and starts to take Dustin's shoes off and tosses them next to the bed. When he stands up, it's to find Eddie watching him.
"You really do care about him, huh?"
Steve shrugs. "Yeah, he's a good kid."
Eddie smiles and rests a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good dude, Steve Harrington." He drops his hand and spins on his heels. "I'm gonna actually shower and change into something more comfortable. Cool?"
Steve nods. "Yeah, cool."
They take turns in the shower. Eddie first, then Steve. He takes his time, letting the warm water wash over him and wash away the grime from the twenty-four hours on the road. By the time he's done, he's feeling a little more relaxed.
Then he steps into the room and sees Eddie curled up on the bed. His wet hair is fanning across the pillow behind him. He's already asleep, Steve realizes. He shakes his head and puts his things back in his bag before turning towards the bed.
He hesitates for only a moment before his exhaustion wins out and he gives in, crawling into the bed next to Eddie.
As exhausted as he is, though, he can't seem to sleep. Not knowing Eddie is sleeping soundly next to him– so close but still so far.
Except when he turns his head, it's to see Eddie's brown eyes watching him, tired but awake.
+1.
"You're tense," Eddie mutters into the space between them. "Why are you tense when you should be sleeping?"
Steve looks at Eddie, taking in his messy hair and tired eyes. It's not the first time he's seen Eddie like this, but it is the first time with him being so close.
And this is exactly what Steve had been afraid of.
"Steve?" Eddie questions. "You have that look again."
"What look?"
"That look when you're thinking too much," Eddie tells him. "Why don't you just tell me about it so you can relax and go to sleep."
"Even if it's about you?" Steve asks him.
Eddie tilts his head. "Yeah, especially then."
"Even if it could change things," Steve says. "Maybe even how you feel about me."
"Steve, there's nothing you can say that can change how I feel about you," Eddie says.
"You don't even know what I have to say," Steve argues.
Eddie sighs and reaches out. He cups Steve's cheek with one hand and smiles. "I think I have some idea. At least, I hope that's where we're heading."
Steve thinks back to what Robin said, about how Eddie's his right fit. How he feels the same way.
He's been afraid of ruining things between them. But tonight, looking at Eddie lying in bed next to him, he's more afraid of not giving into this thing between them. Of letting this moment pass and there never being another.
He can't let Eddie leave this room without knowing how he feels.
"I love you," Steve says softly. "I'm in love with you, Eddie."
Eddie smiles, a small private smile just for him. "I love you, too."
"In like a friend way or…?"
Eddie doesn't answer his question. At least not with words. He says it all when he leans in, his lips meeting Steve's in a slow and lingering kiss.
"What do you think?" Eddie murmurs against his lips.
"Hmm?"
Eddie chuckles and pecks his lips again. "I love you in an absolutely more than friends way."
"Oh good," Steve says, kissing him again just because he can. "Me too. You know, in case that wasn't clear."
"It's pretty clear," Eddie says. "But you know, I wouldn't be opposed to another demonstration."
"I think that can be arranged," Steve murmurs.
"You guys, seriously?" Dustin groans. "You chose now to do this? I love you both, and I'm happy for you, but it's the middle of the goddamn night. Shut the light off and get some sleep. You can kiss and talk about how in love you are at a more decent hour."
Eddie giggles and buries his head against Steve's chest. "Sorry, Dustin."
"Yeah, sorry," Steve adds. Though he's not in the least bit sorry. About waking him, sure, maybe. But everything else? No way. Not when he finally has Eddie in his arms.
He sleeps better that night, snuggled up in Eddie's arms than he has in weeks.