Again

Chapter 23

When Steve opens his eyes the next morning, the first thing that happens is he smiles. Hugely. Something only yesterday he thought might be impossible to do again. He feels a weight and heat all over him from the extra blanket made of Eddie.

Where they fell asleep neatly tucked up together, Eddie's head on his chest, his one arm holding him close, and their legs slightly intertwined, has now morphed into Eddie's and his limbs splayed over him like a starfish. His head is still at the centre of Steve's chest, but face down, both sets of their hands are clasped together, their fingers have woven between one another's, and the muffled noises and intermittent moisture on his skin let him know Eddie is still asleep. Steve puts the softest, lightest kiss he can on the curl nearest his face.

Eddie jolts, his body tenses, and his hands squeeze Steve's as he gasps awake, looks around a few times and then realises where he is and calms. Sometimes Steve forgets Eddie also can be a very light sleeper. He rests his chin on Steve's thatch of chest hair and gazes up at him with barely open eyes, "Did I die again? Cus I'm lookin' at an angel" he smiles sleepily, and Steve rolls his eyes but grins back at his stupid pick up line.

"You're already sharing a bed with me. You don't need to use your cheesy lines on me anymore." Steve says adoringly.

"Uh, yeah, actually I do, because the magic is in the cheese, Steve and you threw yourself across a table of tacos at me. I didn't get a chance to use that many, if any! So you're in for a lifetime of them. Mmm, cheese. Are you hungry? I'm hungry." Eddie says, smacking his lips together. He quickly wiggles up Steve, plants a peck on his lips, then violently throws back the covers and rolls off the bed to the floor with a thud.

"Urgh, your bed is wider than mine and much," Eddie groans in pain, "higher up. Three rolls." Eddie mutters as he gets to his feet, paces towards the window, and throws it open, "WAYNE!!" he bellows, half hanging out the window, "WHAT YOU MAKIN' DOWN THERE?"

"Nothin' for you, you dirty stop out," Steve hears a far away Wayne call up.

"AWW, COME ON, MAN. I CAN ALREADY SMELL THE BACON. YOU GOT PANCAKES? WAIT, HAS MORGAN MADE PASTRIES?" Eddie shouts back, suddenly wide awake.

"Young Miss Maxine tol' me, you eat with us, or you eat with your husband. You can't have both, Eddie!" Wayne calls back.

"That little tyrant!" Eddie seethes under his breath, screwing up his fists and nose, "FINE!" Eddie says, closing the window angrily. That's when Steve catches a glimpse of it, and it turns his stomach, the dark purple bruising on his neck, the edges melting into a green-yellow. A putrid reminder of what he'd done.

"Eddie," Steve says sympathetically, "Why don't you go eat with your Uncle and Morgan. It's fine. I've eaten breakfast with Robin and Max the last few days." Steve doesn't know if he does this out of kindness, self-preservation, or maybe a mixture of the two, but it definitely isn't what he truly wants. He didn't want to be apart from Eddie.

"No way. Uh-huh. No way. I know what they're doing. He's trying to tempt me out there, knowing full well you have to eat whatever cardboard you're being forced to eat." Eddie tries to look as serious as he can in his Batman boxer briefs whilst putting his hands on his hips, "Steve. I love you, but you gotta get on board with spotting your loved ones' sneaky ways, ok? What they are trying to do, Steve, is have little private conversations with us before we get a chance to talk about things together. I can feel the scheming!" He throws himself dramatically back down on the bed.

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea. Having a little pep talk beforehand reminds us to stay on point, avoid getting distracted, and keep brushing it under the rug, honey." Steve says, turning his head to him.