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“Move in with me. It’s not like I don’t have the space and it’s a big place and…” And you don’t have anywhere to go .
Steve Harrington. Eddie’s sudden friend. Eddie’s savior. Eddie’s roommate in a house better than he ever dreamed of setting foot in, much less calling home. Move in with me because I can’t stand to be alone . Eddie understood, at least he thought that he understood. A bit of charity and a bit of soothing his own mind, that was always why people like him helped people like Eddie, right?
Then the screaming started.
The first time it was over before Eddie had even processed what woke him. The second time he made it to Steve’s door before it jerked open to reveal him - sweat soaked and wild-eyed - and he just stumbled down to the kitchen without a word. The third time he tried to ignore it, still coming down from the horrid high of his own but the terror and the pitch left his ears ringing until daybreak.
He couldn’t ignore it after that though. He woke up in a cold sweat, shoved his hair off his sticky face, and rolled to his feet. Harrington kept the kitchen well stocked and his hands only shook a little as he made himself tea. He hated the stuff usually but… but in the chill of the house it was nice sometimes. He turned to make his way back to the room he’d been granted and that was when the screaming started. He jerked, hot water scalding the outside of his thumb and he cursed under his breath. You can stay down here. Don’t have to walk passed his room.
He climbed the stairs.
It was the same screaming that had torn from his throat when… when the bats had torn their way through his ribcage. He pushed open the door, real wood - not the shitty hollow things that made the doors of his and Wayne’s trailer - and stepped inside. Steve slept with a nightlight and it was enough for Eddie to see the state of him. He was tangled in the comforter, hair limp, skin pale.
“Steve?” The screaming paused and then started again after a hitched whimper. “Steve, come on man.” Eddie set the tea on the bedside table and set himself on the edge of the bed. He reached out and untangled the closer arm from the sheets. “ Steve .” He shook his shoulder, jerked as a weak hit landed on his hip, and then wiped the grimace away when Steve’s eyes opened. They were frozen there, like a drip of water, and then the tears came.
“Hey, big boy. Hey, it’s okay. I-uh. I brought tea.” Steve’s skin was damp when Eddie wrapped him in a hug, his hair far from the soft fluff he’d always imagined. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Steve’s arm was pressed too hard on his healing ribs and he was ruining the collar of Eddie’s shirt and… and it was okay.