Beyond the Battle: Action & Consequence (Steddie, Stranger Things)

Chapter 21: Rise and Shine

Steve barely remembered getting to Joyce's car and he was pretty sure he fell asleep on the way to his house, and getting to bed was a little fuzzy as well. He did remember brushing his teeth because he'd almost missed his mouth with the brush, twice, but other than curling up with Eddie, that was about the only things that stuck. 

Waking up the next morning he felt much better, but his stomach seemed to be an empty pit.

"You look like I think I looked when I woke up with fangs," Eddie said.

"I'm really hungry," he admitted, glancing at the clock, "and I only have half an hour to rectify that."

"Ugh," Eddie said, flopping back onto the bed as Steve scrambled out of it, "you are far too awake for this time in the morning."

It was only five-thirty, but if they wanted to get to the hospital and execute the last part of the plan before everyone was around, they needed an early start.

"Go back to sleep," he said as he dashed into the bathroom. "I'll be back by the time you wake up properly."

He turned on the shower as he went to clean his teeth. The taste of fresh mint helped him to wake up even more.

"But I want to go with you."

Turning he found Eddie leaning against the door frame pouting.

"Soon," he said around his toothbrush.

"It's not fair," Eddie complained.

"I know," Steve said, although it probably sounded like gibberish as he bent over the sink to spit and rinse. "You know this town takes a while to get things into its head."

"Didn't take them long to get round to hunting me," Eddie replied.

"Yeah, well mob mentality works faster than the truth," Steve said and began pulling off his clothes. "Once the full cover story is finalised, you'll be able to show your face again and stand on as many tables as you like."

There was something of a strangled noise behind him as he threw the last of what he had been wearing to bed on the floor. When he turned and looked it dawned on him, he had dropped into jock mode because he hadn't been thinking. He was now naked in front of his boyfriend, and they hadn't even had that discussion yet.

"Sorry," he said as he saw the pink in Eddie's cheeks.

"Oh, you have nothing to be sorry for, Big Boy," Eddie said, eyes raking slowly from Steve's feet to his head.

It was his turn to blush.

"God, I want to lick every inch of you," Eddie said and then paused. "I said that out loud, didn't I."

"You did," Steve agreed with a nod.

"Right," Eddie said, face going even redder, "I'll just ... um ... yes."

Eddie pointed over his shoulder and began to turn away, but it looked like it was killing him. All Steve could do was stand there as Eddie left, muttering something about 'damn jock bodies' that Steve couldn't quite hear. Wishing that he had more time to chase after his boyfriend, he climbed into the shower and went through washing as fast as physically possible.

When he made it downstairs, there was a huge omelette waiting for him along with a large mug of tea.

"I was going to say something about filling that hole," Eddie said, cradling a cup of coffee in both hands, "but I fear that could be misinterpreted, so I'll go with, eat up, sweetheart."

"You're amazing," he replied, pecking Eddie on the cheek before grabbing a fork and tucking in right at the counter.

"You have now seen the limit of my culinary skills," Eddie told him, "so don't expect to be wowed in the future."