brutally soft | st agere one shots

.you've been actin' awful tough lately

cg!steve
little!eddie
requested by: Larri6ox
tw: mentions of accidents/wetting the bed, eddie cries, diapers (this is sfw ONLY, k!nk community stay AWAY FROM ME)

to say vecna didn't completely change the course of eddie's life would be a huge understatement.
vecna changed everyone's lives, and now they were living with the aftermath together at least. if nothing else, they were together and safe.
while robin and nancy had already fallen asleep hours ago, steve was just settling down for the night. he crawled into bed, planting a soft kiss atop a sleeping eddie's curls.
he couldn't help but smile at the sight of eddie asleep with his thumb tucked in his mouth, eyes fluttering softly as he slept.
eddie hadn't slept through the night without waking up at least once since he came home from the hospital, so steve was pleased to see him sleeping so soundly tonight.
————
it was wishful thinking on steve's part to believe eddie would sleep through the night without a nightmare, but he wasn't prepared for the accident that came with it.
...
eddie was wailing. he desperately searched for steve, since the light hadn't been turned on. "'tevie!" he whined, tugging at the man's sleeve once he got ahold of it.
the older boy let out a disgruntled sound, raising up and flicking the lamp on.
"eddie, what's wrong?" he spoke softly, taking note of the wet spot on the boy's shorts and blanket. he wasted no time pulling eddie's back against his chest though, kissing the boy's forehead.
eddie hiccuped, a breathy and garbled cry escaping his throat as he desperately clawed at steve's back.
it broke steve's heart knowing eddie was trying to get away from a monster that wasn't real, but he knew he had to persist and keep eddie calm.
"shhh, you're okay, little one. we're safe at home, in our bed, me and you. eddie and stevie, laying together in the bed." he spoke gently, rocking the boy side to side as he leaned against the headboard to support their weight better.
"bats...bats bite me.." he mumbled, shoving his fingers into his mouth to chew on as he cried into the nape of steve's neck.
hearing eddie say that caused an unexpected tear to slip from steve's eye, fingers gently tracing circles in the boy's back as he hummed lowly.
"bubba, there's no more bats. nothing bad will ever hurt you as long as i'm here. robbie and nanny are here too, just right across the hall." he spoke slowly and sweetly, like you would to a child who's just had a nightmare.
because eddie was just a scared baby who had a nightmare, and steve had no shame in caring for him.
"i-i'm so-o-rry.." he hiccuped, uneven and sharp gasps leaving his throat as he tried to catch his breath.
steve cooed sympathetically, turning eddie's chin to face him as he wiped his tears away with a tissue.
"don't be sorry, baby. accidents happen, and you're just a tiny baby.." he cooed in a sing-song voice, one he always used to make eddie feel better when something happened.
eddie nodded tearfully, making no effort to move as steve got up and started towards the bathroom with eddie clinging to his hip.
he got down with minimal fuss, sitting on the edge of the toilet lid as steve began filling the tub.
he returned a moment later, eddie's favorite fuzzy dragon pajamas in one hand, a towel and pacifier in the other.
"okay, arms up, rockstar." steve hummed, gently stripping eddie of his shirt and wet shorts in two swift motions.
he took eddie's hand gently, helping him settle into the tub before popping the pacifier in his mouth. pouring a  little extra bubble bath into the water, just to make sure eddie would smile since he loved bubbles.
eddie lisped out something steve didn't quite understand, but he was pretty sure it was eddie's way of asking for his duckie.
"oh, silly me! how could i forget?" steve gasped, turning around to rummage in the small bath toy bin until he pulled out the yellow duck.
he handed it to eddie, who babbled appreciatively and splashed the rubber duck down into the water.
"l'ub'ou..." the small boy mumbled out around the soother, whining in disapproval when steve began washing his hair.
"i know, fussy boy..i love you too" he shushed, kissing eddie's wet forehead before lathering shampoo into his curls. he took his time, making sure to be extra gentle when massaging the soap into his scalp.
eddie hummed in approval, eyes fluttering shut as he continued to rhythmically sick the pacifier.
soft sucking sounds filled the room as steve scooped eddie up into a towel, drying him off as quickly as he possibly could. he cooed when eddie shivered, laying the towel on the floor before laying eddie down as well.
he was quick to change eddie into a fresh pull-up, tickling his belly gently as he grabbed the onesie.
"such a brave baby for me, yeah?" he praised gently, pulling eddie's arms and head through their respective holes in the fuzzy black onesie.
eddie cooed up at steve, a curious hand reaching up to grab his face as he stared appreciatively into the older male's eyes. he babbled something soft and incoherent to his caregiver, eyes fluttering softly.
"i know, little dragon. you're so tired, huh?" he whispered soothingly, lifting eddie off the floor and back onto his hip.
"baba?" eddie lisped around the pacifier, sucking it furiously as a sign to show steve he wanted his bottle.
"of course, little man. let's get you comfy in bed first though, hm?"
normally, eddie would whine and protest, insisting on staying by steve's side instead. he was too sleepy tonight though, instead nodding and rubbing at his eyes with a sleeve covered hand.
steve cooed, gently placing the boy on the mattress and tucking the duvet over him. while eddie was in the bath, he'd went ahead and changed the sheets, since he knew how tired his boy would be.
"just a minute, honeybee." steve whispered, kissing his forehead before disappearing into the kitchen.
he returned a few minutes later with a bottle of warm milk, smiling softly when he seen sleepy doe eyes peeking out from above the cover.
he crawled into bed, chuckling when eddie rolled over into his side almost immediately.
"baba.." he babbled quietly, making grabby hands for the bottle in steve's hand.
steve chuckled, gently removing eddie's pacifier and replacing it with the bottle as he settled eddie against his chest.
steve sang softly to eddie as he suckled the bottle, only stopping when he heard suckling turn into snoring. he reached over eddie, placing the bottle on the nightstand and switching the lamp off.
"sweet dreams, my sweet boy.." steve whispered, a protective hold on eddie as he drifted off to sleep.