Three Worlds Collide

Chapter Ten

[Warning: Mentions of Death, Angst]

It has been about a month since Steve, Eddie, and I started dating one another as a triad, but today is different, harder to handle than any other day. Today marks the one year mark of my mother’s death and I do not want to do anything at all except stay home and in bed as I grieve. My uncle has already made a call to the school to let them know I am out sick for the day, “Hey Robin do you mind calling Steve and letting him know what is going on and telling Eddie at school why I won’t be there? I feel that if I do it I will just break.”, tears begin to fill my eyes as I speak to her. She pulls me into a hug, she rubs my back soothingly as I cry into her shoulder, “Yeah, I got you.”, she assures me in a whisper.

Soon I am left alone in the house once she leaves for school, my aunt and uncle are already out of the house for the day. I crawl back under my blankets once I use the bathroom and get a glass of water. Sleep comes and goes for me throughout the entire day until about 4:30 in the afternoon when Robin comes home. “Come in.”, I say out softly when there is a soft knock on my door. My bedroom door opens slowly to reveal Robin, but Steve and Eddie are right behind her, the sad looks on their faces makes fresh tears form in my eyes. I have to pull the cover up to my mouth to stifle the sob that wracks me to my core.

“We got it from here Robin.”, I hear Eddie tell my cousin before they enter the room slowly, my eyes are shut tightly as I cry into my blanket. I feel the sides of my bed dip as the young men sit on both sides of me. Steve rubs my arm over the blanket in an effort to console me, Eddie rubs my back gently, “We’re here baby doll.”, Eddie whispers out softly. Their kind words make me break more and I move to place my head into Steve’s lap, they look at one another sadly while they comfort me. Once my sobs die down into hiccups I pull myself up into a sitting position with the blanket still wrapped around me, making me look smaller in the bundle of fabric.

I frown softly at my boyfriends, “I don’t need you seeing me like this.”, I rasp out, my throat raw from crying. They both lean forward to rest their heads against my shoulders, I slide my hands out of the blanket to grab one of their hands into each of mine, “Robin told us what today is and we needed to check in on our lady bug.”, Steve states, I can’t stop the small smile that begins to grow on my face at the pet name he gave me a month ago. We are silent for a few moments, “Um… can I come over to either one of your places tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”, I ask them. “My parents are out of town for the rest of the week so we can go to mine.”, Steve suggests.

The young men detach themselves from me long enough for me to leave the room to tell Robin what my plans are for the rest of the day. I leave a note for my aunt and uncle stating that I am going over to a friend’s house to catch up on today’s school work. Steve and Eddie have me sit down on the bed as they move around my room to pack an overnight bag for me, asking what exactly I need to bring with me. I take a moment to run a brush through my messy hair and brush my teeth, I ride with Steve so Eddie can go by his place to grab an overnight bag for himself.

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Eddie pulls up into Steve’s driveway just after we pull in, Steve is out of the car and on my side of his car as soon as he turns the car off. I make a move to grab my bag, but he stops me, “I got it babe.”, he tells me while leaning into the backseat to grab it into his hand. I give a soft smile to thank him, Eddie joins us on the porch with his bag slung over his shoulder. His ringed hand rubs soothing circles on my back while Steve unlocks the front door, I look over at my shoulder and give him a sad smile. I can’t stop the new wave of tears from forming in my eyes, my body shakes when a sob hits me hard. The soft sound of my sob causes them to turn their attention towards me, Eddie sets his bag onto the ground by the front door once we are completely inside. “I got you baby doll.”, he whispers into my ear as soon as I am in his arms. He leans down a bit to slide his arm under my legs to pick me up.

Steve sets my bag down beside Eddie’s so he can follow us into the spacious living room, Eddie keeps me in his arms as he takes a seat on the couch. Steve sits next to him, he rubs my back gently while I am being rocked slowly by Eddie. Him and Steve whisper assurances as I cry into Eddie’s chest, “I…it hurts so much.”, I manage to say softly in between sobs. “We know baby, and we are so sorry.”, Eddie whispers against my hair. I am unaware that there are tears forming in both pairs of eyes while they watch me grieve. After a bit of time my sobs die down into soft hiccups, Eddie reaches his ringed hand up to wipe my cheeks once I pull my face away from his chest to look up at him. “T..thank you for being here, both of you.”, I say in a soft whisper, I turn my face to see Steve move to kneel at Eddie’s feet so he can look at the both of us. They both give me soft smiles, “Of course lady bug. We care for you deeply and just want to do what we can to help.”, he states. I go to say something back, but my stomach decides to growl loudly to interrupt me, this causes us to let out soft laughs. 

I blush and try to hide my face in embarrassment, “I’ll order something to eat.”, Steve says before standing to his feet, he places a gentle kiss to both mine and Eddie’s foreheads before leaving the room. I smile at the blush that crosses over Eddie’s face, this is still all new to him, knowing his feelings for Steve are reciprocated and unjudged between the three of us. Eddie moves me to sit on the couch beside him, “I’m going to go get us something to drink, what do you want?”, he asks, “Water please.”, I respond. He nods while placing his own kiss to my forehead as he stands to leave the room. Steve rejoins Eddie and I on the couch once food has been ordered, we settle for a silly rom-com suggested by me to watch as we wait for food to arrive. The pair help alleviate some of the pain a bit, they never fail to pull me close when I feel a new wave of sadness wash over me throughout the evening. I snuggle into Steve’s side with my legs over Eddie’s lap once I have eaten and my eyelids slowly begin to droop. 

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~Steve and Eddie’s POV~

The young men share a look once you have fallen asleep in between them, “I hate that she is hurting so fucking much Steve.”, Eddie states with a soft sigh. Steve nods in agreement, “I know, I wish more than anything to take it away from her. But all we can do is be there for her.”, he says while running his fingers through your hair gently, he smiles sweetly when you stir slightly in your sleep before burrowing your face into his chest, your small hand resting against his arm. 

Eddie tries to stifle a yawn, Steve notices and turns the movie off before it ends, this time Steve is the one to take you into his arms to carry you up to his bedroom with Eddie following close behind. The pair join you in bed once they have changed into pajamas, you throw your arm over Eddie’s torso when you feel him settle in beside you. Steve turns onto his side and holds you from behind, the pair share a gentle good night kiss before sleep finally overtakes them both.