sit with you in the trenches
Steddie Week / Day 4: Hurt/Comfort ( @steddie-week )
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Eddie paces around the small living room. All the lights are open, every single one. It’s the only thing that gives him comfort.
The television is murmuring softly in the background. The man is still going on and on about the names of the victims of the fire.
Eddie wrangles his hands, waiting to hear the worst news of his life.
“Hanes. Hanewood. Hawork.”
Eddie pulls on his hair, a breath of relief caught on his lungs.
No Harrington. Steve’s fine. He’s just late. A day late. His “stickler for a schedule” boyfriend has been missing for a day and Eddie can’t even do anything. Can’t do anything because if he does anything it would raise questions.
There’s a crunch of gravel outside that makes Eddie jump, immediately opening the trailer door. There it is. The beamer.
Eddie freezes on his spot, a sound in between a sob and a cheer escaping his mouth. He watches as Steve comes out of the car, but the side door also opens, and— who?— Eddie squints. Robin Buckley comes out.
“Hey, Eds.” Steve greets him, his voice cracks, as soon as the lights hit him. Eddie gasps.
Steve’s face is swollen. Swollen is saying it lightly. His left eye is swollen shut, his lips busted. He’s still wearing the damn Scoops Ahoy uniform.
“Oh my god, swe— Steve.” Eddie pulls the door open, but his eyes stray to Robin who’s glued beside his boyfriend’s side.
Steve pulls her closer, “Eddie, you know Robin, right?”
“Yes.” Eddie trails slowly.
“We were in the fire together and she didn’t want to leave my side. But then, I wanted to go see you.” Steve says, “She’s safe.”
Robin nods earnestly, “I am a lesbian.”
“Oh.” Eddie whispers, blinking before saying, “Oh. Come in, come in.”
He opens the door wider for the two of them. They both stumble inside the trailer like conjoined twins, falling immediately on the couch.
“What happened, sweetheart?” Eddie asks, though he is afraid to hear the answer.
“There was a fire.” Steve answers, “I saved Robin and a few other people. Hence… my face.”
He moves to get an ice pack for his face and blanket for Robin. Eddie doesn’t fully believe it, but it doesn’t really matter right now.
He’ll ask tomorrow and Steve will tell him the same thing. Eddie will learn the truth by himself, in a few more months, a floating cheerleader in front of him.
“Here,” Eddie sits beside him, putting the ice on his boyfriend’s eye, “Robin, do you need anything?”
Robin stares at him with owlish eyes. So different from the girl he had band practices with. He always had his inkling that she might be one of them, but he never thought he'd find out this way.
She shakes her head slowly, accepting the blanket and wrapping it around her arms, “No. This is good enough. Thank you for letting me stay."
They all sit in silence for what could’ve been hours, and Eddie doesn’t really believe in God, but he thanks some kind of deity for letting his boyfriend come home safely.
“I am sorry.” Steve breaks the silence a few minutes later, taking the ice off his eye.
“For what?”
“For being late. For making you worry.” Steve says. Eddie turns to Robin to check on her, but she’s dead asleep on Steve’s lap.
“Does she know we’re dating?” Eddie asks.
Steve smiles shyly, “Yeah. It was a big bonding moment. She thought I was talking about her, leading to her coming out to me and then I told her about my wonderful, metalhead boyfriend.”
Eddie smiles, brushing his hand through Steve’s hair as he lays on his side with a sigh of relief.
“You did good, baby. You just adopted your first lesbian.” Eddie jokes, making Steve crack a smile.
“Does anything hurt? Why didn’t you go to the hospital?” Eddie asks.
“No.” Steve says immediately, like he hates the prospect of going to the hospital, “I just— I just wanted— wanted to see you. I know if I went then you won’t be able to come.”
Eddie smiles fondly, “Alright, Stevie. Go to sleep. I’ll be here when you guys wake up.”
Steve hums in response, but he’s already drifting into sleep, falling deeper into Eddie’s arms.
Eddie kisses the crown of his head, pulling him closer to him. The relief of having Steve here beside him, safe and alive, is something he will never take for granted again.
Tomorrow, Eddie will shower him (and Robin) with love and care. But right now, he tightens his embrace around him and let’s the relief sweep him off his feet.
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