Coping || STEDDIE

The Protecter

(A/N: HOLYYYYY SHIT GUYS THIS STORY IS #11 UNDER THE STEDDIE TAG LIKE OMG HOW. LITERALLY HOW.
(also since i was feeling rlly nice and happy i decided to bless u guys wit some wholesome steddie interactions)
Anyways thank u guys sm for reading this story and honestly idk what else to say except THIS IS SO COOL. also i wrote this part while rewatching s4 so if it's a little all over the place and not consistent it isn't my fault. Ok ok i'm done now onto the story..)

After a few hours of sitting on the floor of the Munson's trailer, Steve and Eddie finally got up the courage to sit up slightly and talk to each other, Eddie sitting in between Steve's sprawled out legs with his back on Steve's chest.

"I'm a fucking freak and you know it Harrington. I'm a monster now. I hurt you, I hurt Robin. I almost hurt Dustin..." Eddie said, very clearly angry with himself and his form. He had stopped shifting now and looked like a vampire again. Steve ran his hands through Eddie's hair, something he remember calmed him down.

"You aren't a monster Eds.. You made a little mistake, but trust me... No one will be scared of you, no one is scared of you." Steve knew he was lying, he saw the look on Dustin's face, Nancy's and Robins too. Everyone who was there when Eddie died, everyone who saw Eddie's ripped and mangled body knew something was up.

"fuck..." Steve breathed as he rested his forehead on the back of Eddie's head, burying his face in Eddie's long, surprisingly soft as if freshly washed, curly dark hair.

"What? What's wrong??" Eddie whipped around in an instant, kneeling between steve's still outstretched legs. His face was twisted with worry but his hands didn't touch Steve out of fear or restraint or something else Steve couldn't quite place.

"We fuckin missed you dude. The first week or so was so incredibly hard, even for Nance who didn't know you." Steve said resting his head back against the wall and exposing his entire neck. Eddie watched him, his face, and brushed off his thoughts and urges. "And I had so many nightmares," He laughed slightly, but it was breathy and more sad than amused, "sometimes that stupid vest was all that would calm me down." He covered his head slightly, face red with embarrassment.

"Steve... I-" Eddie took a deep breath, "I'm really really sorry." He murmured, putting his forehead on Steve's shoulder and breathing in. "I wasn't..." He stayed not being able to find the right words or phrasing like Steve so easily could, "I wasn't here... or alive for those few months. I don't know what changed or how i got here, but for a while i just didn't exist." Steve wrapped his arms around Eddie's shoulders and pulled him closer. They fell into a hug and kept talking.

"And like, all i remember from before i just appeared outside was you guys... leaving." Eddie said as he almost clawed at Steve's back, desperation seeping into his every pore.

"It's okay it's okay we're here I'm here Eddie it's okay. I'm not leaving again I swear." He murmured as he gripped Eddie tighter, they had tried before to relax but in situations like this both of them were severely on edge. Neither had any tears left, but they were shaking and taking in shuddering breaths of eachother as they sat there. After a moment or two Eddie pushed himself off of Steve and stood up, extending an arm down to the other guy.

Steve took his hand and let Eddie haul him up from his sitting position on the ground. His butt hurt from sitting there for so long. He rubbed it slightly and Eddie snickered, very clearly staring, "Ass problems?"

"What the hell-"

"Cmon Harrington, it's late as shit and even in this" Eddie gestured to himself, "state, i need sleep too. You can crash in here with me." He said and crawled to the farthest side of the full sized bed. Steve got in after him and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.

The silence extended, but Steve could hear Eddie's breath occasionally hitch, indicating he wasn't yet asleep.

"Do you ever feel like... you're losing your mind." Steve murmured as he flipped onto his side, facing Eddie. Eddie's eyes widened quickly and his lips parted, but he shook his head slightly and faced Steve, smirking with his sharp fangs.

"Oh just on a daily basis."

"Yeah for sure. Thanks Eds." Steve sighed with mock annoyance as he moved back onto his back and stared at the dark ceiling again.

Steve heard rustling from the other side of the bed and suddenly there was a weight around him, he felt Eddie's head ontop of his and one arm snake it's way underneath his body. "Eds.. what are you doing."

"Just embrace it Stevie, it's comfort. Besides, I've been told my touch wards of nightmares." Steve could feel Eddie's smile and heard a small breathy laugh as Steve turned back on his side and allowed Eddie to pull him into his chest.

"Don't you get nightmares too?" Steve asked, draping one arm across Eddie's torso.

"Nah, and when i do they aren't super bad." Eddie murmured as Steve heard him drift off into sleep.

That was a lie.

At around 7-8 AM, the boys had only been asleep for maybe 4 hours. But Steve was jostled awake as Eddie gripped him tighter and made panting shallow breaths, almost as if he were suffocating.

"Eddie? EDDIE!" Steve yelled as he shook the older boy awake. Eddie was still panting and had his arms extra tight around Steve's body. "Eddie hey, are you okay?? I thought you said you didn't get nightmares."

Eddie moved down slightly so he and Steve were face to face, and Steve saw his eyes were wide with fear and his teeth were yet again shifting uncontrollably. Steve thought it was safe to assume his talon-like nails were doing the same.

"Eddie?" Steve cupped his face slightly with his hand, his voice going soft. "It's alright, you're okay. It was just a dream it wasn't real." He heard a small gulp as Eddie swallowed what must have been the lump in his throat. "Would talking about it help?" Steve asked gently, brushing some of Eddie's hair away from his sweat soaked face.

"I.. I don't want to scare you." Eddie murmured softly as he looked down, but Steve pressed his forehead to Eddie's and smiled slightly.

"You can't scare me anymore Munson. Whatever bullshit you pull wont work, whatever you say i'll support you emotionally to the best of my abilities." Steve said clearly, meaning every word of it. Eddie let out a large breath from his mouth and told Steve about his nightmare.

"It was exactly the same to the night when... everything happened. Except for one thing." He started, shaking a little. Steve assumed he was imagining the events of the dream again, so he pulled himself back into Eddie's chest as Eddie spoke. "Dustin... Dustin ran after me sooner and he... he-" Eddie choked on his words and Steve gripped him tighter.

They both knew what Henderson meant to the other, and Steve had had very similar dreams about finding Dustin in Eddie's... state.

"It wasn't real, Dustin is fine. You saw him yesterday, you hugged him. He's okay." Steve said as he felt Eddie calm down. Soon they drifted back to sleep.

But a few hours later they were yet again woken up, but this time both woke up at the same time to the sound of extremely loud pounding on the door.

"Expecting visitors?" Steve asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, Eddie moved slowly as well, still laid down but slowly pushing the blanket off of his body.

"Huh?" He asked as he too sat up, and Steve pushed the blanket fully off the two of them and swung his legs over the side of the bed to stand. A shiver went down his spine and he cursed slightly at the cold.

"There's people here." He said as he stood and stumbled slightly, from either drowsiness or dehydration. Or both.

"Um... no? I'm not expecting anyone Harrington."

(A/N: do we want Eddie to be human or are we leaving him as a vampire. I told u guys i had no plan for this, so it's being slowly mapped out in my head and i have no clue where i'm really going with it.)