[ there's something about this that steve knows he isn't really processing. something about how the relief he'd felt and the adrenaline he's still feeling and how it mixes in his chest. because part of him does think he needs to back off, that this kind of gripping onto eddie is a little much, a little clingy. because that's all there is to this, isn't it? eddie got roped up in something that had nothing to do with him, got blamed for even more because it's always easy to blame the outsider, to create a monster out of the freak. steve was there, himself, there at the beginning. questioning eddie's innocence. but even then it had more to do with the fact he couldn't have thought any of this could come back than anything real. and now? well. maybe this might balance the scales a little bit. make up for that guilt.
because that is definitely the only reason all this is complicated. totally. and whatever it is that is going on in his chest when eddie grins back at him ( yeah, you too ) is definitely not butterflies and totally just. part of all that complication.
and no, eddie's comment doesn't answer anything at all, really, and it doesn't help steve feel any better about this. eddie looks bad, but he is also standing. he isn't just fully passing out in steve's arms. he did walk, all the way here, which steve should probably take into account a bit more. ]
Okay- and yeah, man. I know. Believe me. But okay, it's actually a bit easier not having to climb up through the ceiling, so it shouldn't strain all that too much. My car's right on the other side, too, and we can go back to my place and- [ steve is rambling, giving voice to a plan he'd gone over and over in his drive over here. thoughts he'd tried to pace out. what would nancy do and all that. it's not that he's nervous about it, either, because the plan is as solid as they can get at this point. what steve doesn't realize is that by rambling, he's really just stalling, really just trying to let time pass before he knows he has to let go of eddie and climb back through.
which might be why steve is more than ready to jump on to whatever other question eddie asks, even before he realizes what exactly it is he's asking. it's a moment later that steve sees it, the furrow in eddie's brows. the deep breath. he definitely chokes up, and steve just squeezes where he's still holding the back of his neck. ]
Yeah. [ he says it without thinking, smiles without thinking, because steve can't handle another broken expression. even if it's not the complete truth (he doesn't even know what to call max right now), it's part of the truth, and that...that can be okay for right now, right? ] Yeah, they did. And once we get you out of here, it'll be everyone. [ steve doesn't know why he feels the need to be reassuring right now, but he needs to. has to. his grip on the back of eddie's neck is tight, hopefully grounding, and he leans his head down just a bit to make sure he is holding eddie's eye contact when he asks: ] Okay?
no subject
because that is definitely the only reason all this is complicated. totally. and whatever it is that is going on in his chest when eddie grins back at him ( yeah, you too ) is definitely not butterflies and totally just. part of all that complication.
and no, eddie's comment doesn't answer anything at all, really, and it doesn't help steve feel any better about this. eddie looks bad, but he is also standing. he isn't just fully passing out in steve's arms. he did walk, all the way here, which steve should probably take into account a bit more. ]
Okay- and yeah, man. I know. Believe me. But okay, it's actually a bit easier not having to climb up through the ceiling, so it shouldn't strain all that too much. My car's right on the other side, too, and we can go back to my place and- [ steve is rambling, giving voice to a plan he'd gone over and over in his drive over here. thoughts he'd tried to pace out. what would nancy do and all that. it's not that he's nervous about it, either, because the plan is as solid as they can get at this point. what steve doesn't realize is that by rambling, he's really just stalling, really just trying to let time pass before he knows he has to let go of eddie and climb back through.
which might be why steve is more than ready to jump on to whatever other question eddie asks, even before he realizes what exactly it is he's asking. it's a moment later that steve sees it, the furrow in eddie's brows. the deep breath. he definitely chokes up, and steve just squeezes where he's still holding the back of his neck. ]
Yeah. [ he says it without thinking, smiles without thinking, because steve can't handle another broken expression. even if it's not the complete truth (he doesn't even know what to call max right now), it's part of the truth, and that...that can be okay for right now, right? ] Yeah, they did. And once we get you out of here, it'll be everyone. [ steve doesn't know why he feels the need to be reassuring right now, but he needs to. has to. his grip on the back of eddie's neck is tight, hopefully grounding, and he leans his head down just a bit to make sure he is holding eddie's eye contact when he asks: ] Okay?