Burn it after midnight.

Chapter 24: I'm Hot Blooded, Check It And See.

"Eddie?"

"Hmm?" Eddie didn't look up from the book he was reading. Steve was lying in his arms, half asleep, playing with the rings on Eddie's left hand as he held the book in his right.

"What happened to your hand?"

"My hand?"

"Your knuckles are all busted"

Eddie swallowed. He'd forgotten about his busted knuckles. He'd managed to keep the bruise on his ribs a secret from Steve since yesterday. Managed to keep his hands moving enough that Steve hadn't noticed how busted his knuckles were, which he was kind of impressed by because they were fucked.

"I uh-"

"Eddie what did you do?"

"Stevie..."

"Don't you dare lie to me" Steve sat up, frowning.

"So y'know how I said I was out with Joe and the other guys from work last night?" He bit his lip.

"Yeah"

"Well I was with them..."

"But?"

"We weren't drinking we uh... let's just say Eric has been uh... dealt with" He couldn't meet Steve's gaze.

"Eddie!"

"Look Stevie I made sure not to go alone he just needed-"

"Eddie! You promised!"

"I didn't actually promise anything" He mumbled.

"I swear to god" Steve threw the sheets off and got out of bed, running his hands through his hair "Eddie why would you do something so stupid! You could have gotten hurt! You did get hurt!" Steve whipped around to face him.

"Should see Eric" He huffed "Sweetheart I'm fine"

"Take your shirt off"

"Trying to get me naked Stevie?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No. Take your fucking shirt off Eddie" Steve glared at him. Eddie sighed, putting his book down and shuffling to the edge of the bed he pulled his shirt off over his head, Steve's eyes went wide as he saw the two bruises decorating Eddie's ribs on the left side. "Eddie" Steve's face crumpled as he came closer, reaching out to gently touch Eddie's ribs. "You're such a fucking idiot... are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Stevie I'm fine, this is nothing"

"Eddie this is not nothing!"

"Hey..." Theo knocked on the door, looking sleepy in an oversized shirt that on closer inspection was actually one of Steve's old Hawkin's Tigers shirts. "What's with the shouting?"

"Sorry did we wake you? It's nothing, go back to sleep" Eddie said

"Eddie it is not nothing" Steve repeated.

"What did you do?"

"Why do you assume I did something?"

"Steve's mad, only gets mad like this when you did something stupid" She shrugged.

"Your idiot brother decided to find Eric and 'teach him a lesson'" He sneered using air quotes "And got himself hurt in the process"

"You're hurt?"

"Not badly"

"You're still hurt!"

"Stevie would you please just--"