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Steve was lost in a dream, fast asleep on Eddie’s bed in the boy’s trailer. Steve was unaware of his waking surroundings as he snored away, content. Through his haze of sleep, he could feel Eddie’s warm body wrapped around him, spooning him.
The two remained that way for a long time throughout the night. The only sounds audible were the chirps of crickets outside, the occasional hoot of an owl, Steve’s snoring, and Eddie’s uncle Wayne’s snoring heard faintly through the wall.
Still fast asleep, Steve suddenly heard an odd sound cut through his unconsciousness. Deciding to ignore it, Steve let darkness swamp him once again. But when he felt the warmth of Eddie move off of him, he grew confused.
Dragging himself out of sleep, he blinked groggily in the darkness, yawning. He had to take a moment to gather his surroundings before processing any information.
As he woke up, he heard that strange sound again. After a moment, he realized it was sniffling. Furrowing his brow, Steve rolled himself over to look at Eddie.
Upon noticing Steve noticing him, Eddie quickly ducked his face down and away from Steve’s searching gaze.
“Hey, Stevie,” Eddie whispered. His voice was weak, almost scared. He was sitting up, back resting against the bed frame. He was in an old band t-shirt and sweatpants, hugging his arms close to himself,
“Hey, Eds. What’s up?” Steve asked softly. He reached a hand out to rest it on Eddie’s knee, rubbing little patterns on it with his thumb.
“Nothing. I’m fine. You should go back to sleep,” Eddie mumbled. But when he ended his words with a sniffle, Steve knew he would be doing the opposite of what Eddie advised.
“Are you crying?” Steve asked, sitting up on his elbows to get a better look at Eddie, who was still hiding his face.
“I’m fine, I already told you.”
“Just answer my question, Munson.”
Eddie turned his face a little, his eyes watching Steve nervously. The faint moonlight streaming in through the window reflected off his face, lighting up the tears streaming down his cheeks.
Steve froze for a moment in fear before sitting up to be at Eddie’s level.
“Eddie, hey, what’s wrong?” Steve asked gently, putting a hand on Eddie’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure how much touch Eddie wanted right now. “Are you okay?”
Just those simple words made Eddie break.
Eddie balled a hand up into a fist and hid his mouth with it, more tears streaming down as his face his body was wracked with sobs.
Terrified for Eddie, Steve wrapped him up in a hug. Eddie immediately reciprocated, squeezing Steve tight like he was the only thing keeping Eddie from falling off the edge of the world.
“Hey, hey, Eddie, it’s okay,” Steve whispered. He nuzzled his nose into Eddie’s hair at the top of his head, trying to offer as much physical comfort as he possibly could.
“It- it’s not, Steve- I- I can still…” Eddie hiccuped, cutting himself off at the end.
“Take your time, Eds, take your time.”
“It was a- a nightmare. I had one,” Eddie breathed out, body still shaking.
Oh. Steve was well familiar with those by now.
Since the final battle with Vecna and after his defeat, Steve and Eddie had both been plagued with constant nightmares. And now that Steve basically always shared a bed with Eddie after getting together, Steve was well aware of the dreams that haunted poor Eddie.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Steve asked softly, pulling his head back to look Eddie in the eyes, those big, chocolate-brown eyes.
Eddie blinked at Steve for a moment before nodding.
Leaning forward a little, Steve pressed his nose against Eddie’s cheek comfortingly.
“Alright, then. What happened in the dream?”
“It was- I was lying on the ground, after the bat attack. I- I had dreamed the bats attacking me before that, lived through it again,” Eddie whispered. “I remember it all so well, and my mind doesn’t let me forget it. The way they swarmed around me like some sick tornado, their teeth sinking into me, their shrill calls, it- it still haunts me, Steve,” he sighed. “I know I fought them back, I know I won, but I still haven’t forgotten what they’ve done to me.”
“I know, Eds,” Steve sighed back, still hugging Eddie close. “I still have nightmares about that day.”
“I’m so tired of them,” Eddie said shakily. “I just want to get some damn sleep.”
“I know, I know. But you’re safe, alright?”
“Yeah, I’ve got you here with me, Stevie. I’m okay,” Eddie breathed, reassuring himself.
“Yeah. And I’m staying. Can’t get rid of me,” Steve smiled softly.
Eddie grinned just a little — but it was still a grin, and Steve counted that as a small win.
“Will the nightmares ever go away?” Eddie asked, pulling his head back to look at Steve. His gaze was scared, worried.
Steve stared back for a moment before sighing.
“I don’t know. I don’t think they ever will. But… they might get better.”
“I sure hope so,” Eddie chuckled humorlessly.
Steve blinked at Eddie sympathetically, cupping his cheek with a hand.
“Anything else about the dream you want to talk about?”
Eddie shrugged.
“I dunno. I just… I remember you running up to me as I was lying there after the bats. Dustin was there with me. He never left,” Eddie said, smiling for a second at that. “And all I can remember is the look of horror on your face. Both of us thought that was it for me. That fear… I haven’t forgotten it.”
Steve remembered when he and Robin and Nancy had killed Vecna with fire — alcohol bottles and rags — and they had been making their way back to Eddie’s trailer when they saw him.
Dustin had been crying over Eddie’s body when Steve ran up to them. The sickening sight of Eddie coated and dripping with his own blood, gaping wounds present in his entire torso, his arms and legs, his neck and face, clothes glued to the wounds that were already clotting, eyes glazed over and dull, it still haunted Steve, day and night. He never wanted to see Eddie like that again.
Steve had thought that he was staring into the eyes of a dead man — that was until Eddie let out a low, pained groan.
Steve had been the one to carry Eddie bridal-style through the upside down. Steve had spoken to him non-stop, begging him to hang in there. It was a miracle that they had all managed to get him to the hospital alive. And after Eddie got out and saw Steve again for the first time, they kissed, and the rest was history.
But the past was in no hurry to leave.
Sighing, Steve ran a hand up Eddie’s t-shirt to trace over the bumps of demo-bat scars that were still etched into his skin.
“It… it’s like, my worst fear, so sometimes, I… I have nightmares about you dying,” Steve whispered. “I dream that we find you lying there, but we’re too late.”
“Oh, c’mon. I wouldn’t leave you like that,” Eddie said, grinning a little.
“Not a big enough exit for you?” Steve asked, smiling fondly.
Eddie chuckled, that familiar, happy glint in his eyes.
“Nah. I wanna go out with, like, fireworks and shit. And I’m playing my guitar. Kind of like I did to distract the bats. A final solo.”
Steve chuckled and kissed Eddie’s cheek.
“You’re the biggest dork I’ve ever met. But what’s important is that we’re both here now, alright?” he smiled, still caressing Eddie’s scars.
Eddie giggled a little, the sensation of Steve’s fingers on his hip and belly tickling him.
“Yeah, and I’m real thankful for that,” Eddie smiled softly. “What would I do without you, Stevie?”
“Probably get embarrassingly high all the time,” Steve teased. “Like, more than you already do.”
“Would not,” Eddie scoffed. “I dabble in the art of the devil’s lettuce, but I take it seriously.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot I was speaking to the master of marijuana,” Steve smirked sarcastically.
Eddie grinned challengingly before pushing Steve down onto his back by the shoulders, hovering over him.
“Wise words for the guy in mauling range right now.”
“Oh, noooo,” Steve wailed sarcastically.
Leaning down, Eddie began to “maul” Steve by kissing him all over — lips, cheeks, neck, and even the tip of his nose. Steve couldn’t help but laugh a few times.
“Take that, Harrington,” Eddie grinned.
“You got me,” Steve chuckled, pulling Eddie down by the waist to cuddle with him.
Instinctually, Eddie tucked himself against Steve’s side and rested his cheek on Steve’s chest. Steve began to absentmindedly play with Eddie’s curls.
“You’re such a sweetheart,” Eddie purred.
“And you’re such a pain in the ass,” Steve teased. “But somehow I love you.”
“I love you too, Stevie,” Eddie smiled.
The two of them stayed that way for a while, Steve playing with Eddie’s hair, their breaths evening out until Eddie drifted off into sleep, still smiling. Steve joined him quickly after, dozing off into a joyfully dreamless sleep, content with Eddie held close.
They both stayed fast asleep, even in the early hours of the morning when sunlight began to bathe the room in a golden glow, and even when uncle Wayne came in to check on them, grinning to himself when he saw the two hugged close. He was glad the two boys had each other.
And they would always have each other — for protection, for comfort, for love, for safety. Always, no matter what.