Red Lightning / (Kas Steddie)

Chapter six - Back to Normal

A/N: This chapter is a little bit shorter than the other ones but idc. There is a slightly more intense scene in this one where they kiss and playfully wrestle, but nothing leads anywhere crazy and it's just fun.

Just as Eddie was starting to wonder why it was taking Steve almost five minutes to find whatever simple sleep clothes he could lend Eddie, Steve found exactly what he was looking for. At the bottom of one of his many drawers was a band T-shirt he'd borrowed from Eddie one night when he was drunk. He'd never given it back, but he figured the man could definitely use a piece of home in a time like this. Proud of his achievement, a smug grin plastered on his face, Steve turned to face the other man who quickly removed his fingertip from between his teeth and wiped it on his towel.

"I uh-" Steve tried to be nonchalant but his face burned as he held out the clothes. "I thought you'd feel... y'know, more at home if you had your shirt back."

Steve's heart fluttered and he thought he'd be killed by the sparkle in Eddie's previously dark eyes when he laid them on the clothes in Steve's hand. He picked up the shirt and held it out to admire its design.

"The Number of the Beast." He said slowly in amazement, emphasizing each word. His eyes traced the Iron Maiden logo and then trickled to each part of the shirt's design.. "Steve Harrington, I never thought you'd be the reason I lose one of my precious shirts. Why do you even have this?"

Steve ran a hand through his hair, his eyes flicking between different objects in the room - he looked anywhere but Eddie's face. "I - well, I think I borrowed it once... I don't-"

Eddie's laugh pulled his eyes back up, but what ensued happened too quick for him to give a reaction. The man tossed the clothes onto the back of Steve's chair, and his right hand gripped Steve's shirt collar while he playfully threw him down. He landed on his bed and was instantly followed by Eddie, who leaped forwards. His free hand landed to the left of Steve's neck and one of his legs was bent up, placed on the edge of the bed, to the right of Steve's legs. Steve's entire face and neck burned bright red.

"You're blushing, Harrington," He teased in a low, quiet voice, and Steve effectively melted into a puddle. "I can't believe you still have my shirt. That's adorable."

"Yeah man, shut up," Steve argued with a laugh, putting a hand on Eddie's chest and attempting to push him up. Eddie ignored it and cupped Steve's face in his cold hands, continuing to grin down at him smugly.

"Really, I'm flattered, Stevie. I can't believe you're such a softie."

Eddie was giggling as he spoke. Steve laughed along with him, finding the other's amusement contagious. His arm bent and fell back onto his own chest but he quickly raised it again as Eddie also decided to fall onto his chest, the man's chin resting on his collarbones.

"I fucking love you, Harrington." There was still slight laughter laced through his words but Steve knew they were genuine. He felt a shiver go down his neck at the feeling of Eddie's playing with his hair, brushing through it and curling locks around his finger.

"You're adorable." Steve teased right back with Eddie's words. It seemed to work, because Eddie attempted to cover up his silly giggles by pressing his lips against Steve's jaw in a playful kiss. He opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a soft click as he stopped his breath. He decided not to say anything at all because for that moment, things finally felt like they might be going back to normal.

The kiss was followed in quick succession by three more which trailed closer to Steve's mouth and when the fourth one came, Steve greeted it with a smile. However, Eddie paused. He hesitated, eyes fixed on Steve's lips, yet not fully present. The man's heart jumped nervously - something clicked in Eddie. Steve didn't think much of it though when the man continued, his kisses growing longer and more passionate. He breathed heavily like he craved each kiss more and more.

Eddie loved to trail his kisses to different areas on Steve, to which Steve happily delighted. But this time he was different. He seemed... hungry... with the way he licked Steve's skin and incorporated bites into the trickling kisses. When a particularly sharp tooth hit a sensitive area on Steve's neck his anxiety peaked, and the man let out a small, stressed gasp through clenched teeth, his muscles tense. Eddie immediately froze.

He didn't look away from the spot he'd nearly bitten, but Steve could see the faint red glow peeking through his wet bangs.

"Shit-..." He uttered barely above a breath. "I'm... gonna go out to the couch."

The sudden seriousness to the other's behaviour made Steve's grin falter and he thought his heart might stop.

"Wh- What?" He struggled to say anything, not even realizing how much his hands shook at his sides. "Eds- c'mon, it was nothing- we were just fucking around, right? I'm fi-"

"No."

The word seemed to be forced out of a mouth that didn't want to say it. Steve stayed still and silent as Eddie slowly crawled backward, careful to avoid touching Steve as he stood back up. He turned around and never met his eyes again.

"Goodnight, Steve."

With those words the man took his half-borrowed clothes and retreated from the room, heading to the secluded upstairs livingroom space just down the hall.

Steve's eyes stung. His face burned. His hands and feet were filled with pins and needles and his limbs were full of lead. He could barely move to wipe away the tears that effortlessly surfaced and began streaming down his face, making their trails even warmer. He felt like an idiot.

It was all his fault that any of this had happened. If he'd have gone with Eddie he could have saved him from turning into whatever horrifying thing he'd turned into. Steve could have saved the only man he'd ever loved, and likely ever would love, from suffering such a miserable eternity.

And worst of all was that not even his best friend knew about a single thing he'd been going through for that whole year. To Robin, Steve was just a lazy, depressed man who dragged himself out of bed to go through the motions and climb back in when he was finished. He'd hardly managed to have a normal, fun conversation with any of the kids, especially Dustin, in so long he thought it might not happen again.

Each day he spent hiding his pain from the world because it was one that wouldn't accept it no matter what. Steve was the strongest, he was a protector, and he was there for the ones who needed him - not the other way around. He was so buried deep in his own head that he was drowning in misery, each day just another tally on the wall.

He rolled over and buried his face in his pillow, soaking it with his emotions and rethinking the day through a blurry lens. All he saw were the bad parts - the parts that never had to happen.

A/N: By the way I realize that scene was like straight out of Twilight with the oH nO iLL eAt YoU iF wE kiSs, I was going for "cheesy vampire romance" when i started the outline for this and then i changed my mind so just roll with it its kinda funny

eddie cant eat dogs forever guys 😰