Work Text:
Unfortunately, Eddie’s peaceful and low-pain week doesn't last for more than the weekend. Monday rolls through and Eddie goes through almost all of his new daily routine. Coffee with oat milk for him and a coffee, in a go, cup with creamer for Steve, a nice hot shower, writing for the Dungeons and Dragons campaign, and binge-watching his favorite shows.
Around mid-day, he starts to get a bit uncomfortable. Thinking nothing of it, he decides it's a perfect time to stretch and use the bathroom and trudges his way down the short hallway. He takes his time, flicking through some memes in the group chat that the kids have sent and taking the time to update his uncle on how everything has been. When he finishes up, however, things take a downward spiral.
“Fuck,” Eddie sighs seeing the pinkish paper in his hand. He reaches into the drawer underneath the sink only to find it empty, “Shit.”
Eddie thanks his lucky stars as a text from Steve comes in letting him know he's on his lunch break before he quickly calls him.
“Hey baby,” Steve says smiling from his seat in his car, “What's up? You usually don't call on my lunch break?”
“Yeah well, I'm kinda in a situation,” Eddie admits.
“Uh oh,” Steve says, “Do you need me to try to find someone to come put you back together?”
“No,” he says, “I'm still in one piece thankfully. I just need you to make a store run on your way home.”
“Okay,” Steve says with a mouth full of leftover pasta, “What is it you need?”
“Uh,” Eddie hesitates before remembering there isn't any reason to be worried about what Steve will say, “Pads.”
“Like maxi pads?” Steve asks, “Sure baby. Are you out?”
Eddie sighs a bit in relief, “Yeah. I thought I would have a bit more time to prepare before it started again.”
“Hey, it's alright,” Steve says, “There was no telling when it would come back. Don't feel bad about it.”
Eddie nods even though he knows Steve can't see him.
“Do you want me to grab anything else while I'm at the store?”
He hums a bit, “Maybe some Oreos? And beef jerky?”
“I really hope you don't plan on eating them together,” Steve jokes.
He chuckles, “I'm not, big boy.”
Steve smiles, “That's good. Anything else for the list baby?”
“Maybe one of those s’more cookie brownie things from that one bakery?”
“I'll see what I can do,” Steve says, “You just go curl up with a heating pad.”
“Aye aye captain,” Eddie says with a smile, happy to do what his loving boyfriend instructed him as the cramps start to become noticeable.
“Good,” Steve smiles, “Get some rest. I love you.”
“Love you too Stevie,” he says before they both hang up.
Eddie sighs and prepares himself a makeshift pad out of toilet paper before getting up and trudging to the living room, plugging in his heating pad and getting set up to keep watching his shows. Ten minutes later there's a knock at the front door, a knock that only one person he knows does.
“Doors unlocked, Max” he calls from his spot on the sofa.
The younger girl lets herself into the trailer and makes her way to sit with him, “Hey.”
“Hey kid,” Eddie says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, “Problems with your stepdad again?”
“Not exactly,” She says.
“Missing him?”
Max nods and leans into him, “Why the hell does it still hurt?”
“Because you know he never really hated you,” Eddie says rubbing her back, “And you never hated him. You also probably have some survivor's guilt about the whole e thing. You were in the same car and you made it out.”
Max nods and sniffles a bit, wiping her face on her sleeve.
“You know I'm always here, kid. Even if it's midnight on a work day.”
She nods and lays her head on his shoulder.
“You can cry it out if you want, or I can put on The Office and we can watch some mindless TV.”
“Mindless TV sounds good,” she says, drying her eyes.
“Mindless TV it is,” he declares as he switches the show.
“Oh. And Steve asked me to bring you one of these,” she says, handing him a pad.
Eddie chuckles, “You are a lifesaver, kid. I definitely owe you one.”
Max giggles a bit as Eddie shuffles off to the bathroom. A couple of hours later, Steve gets home and takes a much better max home before finally parking for the night. Bringing in the bags of craving food and sanitary products before sitting with his boyfriend to take a load off before he makes dinner.
“Did Max bring the goods,” Steve asks after kissing his boyfriend ‘hello’.
“You make it sound like a drug deal Steve,” Eddie says with a small laugh, “Yes she brought me a pad.”
“Good,” he smiles, “And how are you feeling?”
“Well my cramps are very painful and my joints ache like crazy.”
“I'm sorry baby. I wish I could fix it.”
“Not your fault. You're doing everything you can.”
“Still doesn't feel like enough.”
Eddie kisses him softly, hoping to stop his catastrophizing in its tracks, “You being here is enough.”
Steve smiles a bit, kissing back, “Thank you, baby.”
Tuesday isn't any better for Eddie. In fact, it's worse. Rain is pouring down on the metal roof of the trailer, causing the windows to be darker than they would be at this point in the day. From the second Eddie’s consciousness returned to him from his alright sleep with his boyfriend, his entire being is screaming. It's sharp in places, and achy in others. Pounding, stabbing, throbbing, and nothing but pain.
“You okay?” Steve asks, coming out of the brightly lit hallway.
Eddie can only groan and cover his face as the screaming gets louder.
“Whoa,” Steve says shutting the door and crouching by Eddie’s covered face, speaking softly, “Are you okay, babe?”
“No,” he admits, “Everything is screaming.”
“Alright baby,” Steve tells him, kissing his head, “I'm going to go call in sick. Try to get up and change your pad, at least for me baby.”
Eddie nods, “Alright…”
It takes every ounce of energy left in his body to get to the, thankfully dark, and change before immediately heading back to bed. Steve follows shortly after, climbing into the bed once again.
“Tell me what's wrong,” Steve asks, voice barely above a whisper.
“It feels like my brain is trying to force its way out my temple and eyeball,” Eddie starts, “I can barely see, I have no peripheral vision. My leg feels like it's going to fall out any second. And my stomach feels like it's going to explode from the cramps. And I’m so exhausted…”
“Oh baby,” Steve says softly, “Is this as bad as it gets?”
Eddie can only shrug, “I think it's more compounding forces rather than one thing…”
He nods, rubbing Eddie’s arm, “What can I do?”
“I don't think there’s anything you can do…”
“There has to be something. How about I go get your heating pad and an ice pack for your head? Let's start there.”
“Okay,” Eddie says, not trusting himself to nod.
Steve just kisses his head softly and leaves the room once again, being sure to keep the hall light off so that Eddie doesn't end up in more pain than he's already in.
Eddie can do nothing but lay there in his agony. It's different, usually, he can distract himself from the pain at least a little bit. But now, when every sound is fuel for his seemingly expanding brain, he can’t. It would only cause him more pain than he's already in. Even his favorites didn't sound like a good idea.
Steve comes back a few minutes later, though Eddie would swear it was hours. He sets his boyfriend's heating pad up, tucked against his stomach. Then he sets the ice pack on his head, lovingly wrapped in a raggedy dish towel from the bottom of the drawer.
“Does that help?” he asks softly, moving some hair out of Eddie's face.
“A little,” he admits, “will you stay and hold me?”
“Of course baby,” Steve whispers before climbing back in bed with his ailing boyfriend.
“Thank you, Stevie,” Eddie says softly, tearing up both from the agony and the sweetness of his boyfriend.
“Hey,” Steve whispers, “I will always be here. No matter how hard this gets.”
“Thank you, Stevie.” Eddie snuggles up to him, “I swear if there's a god out there, he must have some sort of grudge against me in particular.”
Steve chuckles softly, “I can see why you think that. Good thing there is no god. Because they'd be answering to me for putting you through all of this.”
Eddie can't help but smile, “Only you would fight a god for me, Stevie.”
“I'd fight every god in the universe for you baby,” he says, “What kind of god puts someone who’s done nothing but live their life through this kind of pain? It's just sick.”
“I love you, Stevie,” Eddie says, smiling up at him, “you're the only one for me.”
“And you're the only one for me, Eds,” Steve says before kissing him softly, “Now rest.”
The two spend the rainy day, content in bed. Eddie sleeps through most of it so he won't have to feel his pain. Steve holds him through it all, through the dry heaving and muscle spasms, even through the shower they take together to try and get Eddie's migraine to give way. Steve is there through it all, and Eddie couldn't be more thankful for him.