Work Text:
Eddie loved reading, well when it was on his own accord. Getting told to read at school was a whole different story. Having an old man tell you what and when to read is so condescending. The worst is when it’s a book that you have absolutely no interest in. Eddie was lucky though, because they got assigned The Hobbit as their last book of the year, the last book Eddie will ever be forced to read and it was something he loved. ‘86 was his year, for sure.
Normally his reading routine was shutting himself in his room, complete silence, and reading aloud to himself. He loved becoming the characters, imagining the scenarios. Reading aloud just made the experience so much more enjoyable for him. With his lovely boyfriend being over all the time, however, this routine became nearly impossible.
Steve was over all the time, as much as possible. Eddie loved it of course but he needed to get this done. Eddie just couldn’t tell Steve.
They were both sat on the couch on a Friday night. Eddie had a few more chapters to read and it was due on Monday, the reading and a two-page paper. So Eddie needed to get it done soon.
It was 11:37pm and Eddie was starting to doze off.
Shit, I need to read. Steve’s here. I don’t think he plans on leaving either.
“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” Eddie asked, pointing toward his watch.
“Yeah, but not until like noon.” Steve answered, “Why are you trying to get rid of me or something?” Steve laughed.
“No, it’s just I have some homework and-” Before Eddie could finish Steve spoke.
“Just do it, I promise I’ll be quiet. You won’t even know I’m here.” Steve smiled, placing a finger over his lips.
“I- uh okay,” Eddie answered. How could he say no to this adorable idiot?
Damn it.
The dark-haired boy got up and started making his way to his bedroom.
“Where are you going?” Steve yelled from the couch.
“Homework,” Eddie yelled back from his room.
Steve got up and followed him. When he reached the boy's room, Eddie was rummaging through his backpack to retrieve the book.
“Ooooo The Hobbit,” Steve muttered, making Eddie jump. “How much you got left?”
“Like three or four more chapters.” Eddie stated, “But I have to write a paper too so I’ve gotta finish it tonight.”
“Sounds fun.” Steve added, “Read to me.” Steve slumped onto the bed where Eddie was sitting and rested his head on the dark-haired boy’s shoulder.
“What happened to ‘I’ll be so quiet you won’t even know I’m here’?” Eddie mocked.
“Oh come on, please,” Steve begged, bottom lip jutting out dramatically.
“Why?” Eddie asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Because whenever you read during your campaigns you like, go into a different world, and I wanna see if you do the same with books. I wanna join you in your little world.” Steve spoke quietly into Eddie’s ear. “What, are you scared?’
“N-no.” Eddie loved but hated the whispering at the same time. “Whatever, just don’t make fun of me.”
Steve gasped, gripping his chest, “I would never!”
Eddie laughed, rolling his eyes, and cracked open the book.
He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and began.
“Chapter 16: A Thief in the Night. Now the days passed slowly and wearily. Many of the dwarfs spent their time piling and ordering the treasure and now Thorin spoke of the…”
Steve was immediately captivated by Eddie’s focus and passion when reading, his eyes glazing the pages.
“For the Arkenstone of my father, he said, is worth more than a river of gold itself.” Eddie continued reading, completely immersed.
Steve relaxed onto the boy’s shoulder, enjoying the sound of his counterpart's sultry voice.
“At midnight he woke up Bombur…”
A whole chapter had gone by in what felt like seconds.
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The sound of lights buzzing and the dim light from the hall were all that remained in the room with them, along with Eddie’s quiet and sultry voice as he recited Tolkien. Steve’s eyes were beginning to droop and unfocus on his surroundings. How could a voice be so relaxing?
Steve let out a quiet yawn.
“You getting sleepy?” Eddie asked quietly.
Steve let out a soft groan, “Mmmm, no… keep going.”
“Okay,” the older boy chuckled lightly.
He continued on until the very last page. When he was finally finished he looked to the nightstand where his digital alarm clock read, 1:16am. Steve was now fast asleep against Eddie’s side. Adorable. Eddie slowly rolled Steve onto the other side of the bed before getting up and ensuring the front door was locked. Trauma’s a bitch. He turned off the hall light and made his way back to his room, now only barely illuminated by starlight. He entered to find his boyfriend still fast asleep in his bed. He climbed in beside him and planted a soft kiss on his forehead, earning a nose crinkle in response.
“Goodnight baby.”
No response aside from soft sleepy breaths. Eddie closed his eyes and let the Temptress of Sleep overtake him.