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Eddie descended the stairs to see Steve heavily leaning over the kitchen sink. He was slumped over the basin, and Eddie could see the blood dripping from between his fingers.
“Shit, Steve, I said to wait,” Eddie scolded, helping the weak man into one of the chairs in the kitchen. “You can’t handle doing anything right now.”
Eddie quickly grabbed a paper towel from the roll above the sink and pressed it to Steve’s nose, and pinched, holding his head down.
“W-water,” Steve rasped, his voice muffled and stuffy against the paper towel. “S-simple.”
“Yeah, but considering you almost died a few days ago, it’s not,” Eddie reminded him. “You shouldn’t be standing, let alone walking.”
He helped Steve sip from a glass of water, his own anxiety calming. Steve was a wizard, born with powers, but it was El that helped him hone and strengthen them. And like hers, his magic took energy. Defeating Vecna, then helping heal El afterwards sapped not only Steve’s magic, but nearly his entire life force.
Robin had kept them both conscious when they’d found them; Eddie’s stomach had dropped at Steve’s appearance. Steve had been gaunt and pale, and his lips and chin were streaked with fresh blood. His jaw was stained with blood that had dripped from his ears. Steve’s eyes were half-lidded and his head had lolled over to the side, only acknowledging Robin’s touch to his cheek with quiet grunts.
Eddie had offered for Steve to tap into his life force and Steve had, but had broken off seconds later. Eddie had urged him to please, take more, you need it.
Won’t hurt you to help me, Steve had mumbled.
Eddie begged, but Steve refused.
So instead, Eddie tasked himself with caring for the weakened man instead. That meant both bed rest and sleep were in order, but Steve had seemed to want nothing to do with either.
“Can do it. ” Steve’s voice was gruff, but annoyed. His skin was still a deathly white, making his moles more prominent, and his frame still trembled.
“I know you can,” Eddie said, his voice softening. “But Stevie, you’ve got to rest.” He reached for the man’s hand to start softly wiping away the blood from Steve's fingers.
“C-can’t,” Steve quietly moaned.
“Can’t?”
“R-rest,” Steve whispered, his voice shaking. “N-need to p-protect th-them.”
Some piece of Eddie’s heart shattered. He stroked Steve’s hand before lifting it to kiss the man’s clean knuckles. “But we need you to heal, to rest. That’s how you can protect us,” Eddie assured.
Steve’s shoulders sagged in exhaustion or relief, Eddie wasn’t sure.
“Couch?”
Steve’s single word request made relief wash through Eddie.
“Yeah, I’ve got ya.” Eddie lifted him into his arms in one smooth motion. “You good there, big boy?”
“M’good,” Steve whispered, head already heavy on Eddie’s shoulder.
And as Eddie made him comfortable with plush pillows and knitted blankets, Steve, for the first time in a long time, fell into a comfortable, dreamless sleep.