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it was nearly noon, but stede had yet to see ed out of their bedroom. slightly concerned, stede softly padded down the hall to check on his husband. when he pushed open the door, he was greeted with the sight of ed bundled up in their duvet, face stormy and sad.
“good morning, darling,” stede said, sitting on the edge of their bed. he ran a soothing hand through ed’s hair, asking, “how are you feeling?”
“mhn…don’t wanna get out of bed,” ed mumbled, hiding his face in his pillow.
“you don’t have to,” stede assured him gently. “what’s wrong my love?”
ed huffed, “nothing. everything. just…i dunno.”
“do you want me to bring you anything? a warm drink? your weighted plushie?”
“yes please. to both,” ed replied quietly.
“hot chocolate? or do you want some tea?” stede asked.
“hot chocolate.”
“okay, i’ll be back in a few minutes.” stede walked over to their armchair, picking up ed’s weighted dragon plushie and delivering him to ed. “here’s fluff to keep you company while i’m gone.”
ed nodded and buried his face into the soft fabric of his plushie, inhaling deeply and closing his eyes as he listened to stede head back to the kitchen.
ed wasn’t sure if he dozed off or what, but sooner than he expected, stede was back with a steaming mug and a soft smile.
“here you go darling, let me help you sit up,” stede said, handing ed the mug before sitting on the floor beside the bed. stede gently rubbed ed’s thigh as he sipped his hot chocolate.
after a moment, ed hummed. “you added peppermint,” he remarked quietly.
“i did. i’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted, i just know it’s a nice treat and we haven’t made it in a while,” stede said.
“it’s perfect. i didn’t realize i wanted it until now. thank you.”
stede smiled, before turning his attention to ed’s plushie.
“are you taking good care of edward?” he asked the plushie. “he really needs it right now.”
“yes i am,” stede replied in a silly voice for the stuffie. “i’m doing my very best.”
“he’s doing wonderfully,” ed chimed in, “as is his buddy stede.”
stede’s eyes were full of stars when he looked up at ed, his hand returning to ed’s thigh. “i’m very glad to hear that,” he said gently.
they sat in silence while ed continued to sip his hot chocolate. when he was done, stede took the mug from his hands and moved to bring it back to the kitchen.
“no, stay,” ed mumbled, hands petting over his plushie’s soft back.
“oh ed,” stede said fondly, setting the mug down on the bedside table. “do you want me in bed with you?”
“yes please.”
stede climbed into bed, sitting up against the headboard and letting ed rest his head on his chest. he wound his arms around ed and squeezed him close. “is this good?”
“it’s perfect,” ed replied.
“agreed!” ed added in a silly voice for the plushie.
“i’m glad.”
silence fell over them as ed allowed himself to melt into the comfort of stede’s body. “we can stay here as long as you need, okay? today can just be a quiet day,” stede told him after a while.
“thank you,” ed said meekly, feeling the words start to come less easy as he sank deeper into a soft, small headspace.
stede understood anyways. “always, my love, anything for you.”
the last thing ed felt before he drifted off to sleep was stede’s lips brushing his forehead gently.
the day was hard. but stede made things a little easier.