[ maybe that is exactly the thing that pulls him in - because while a part of steve had thought to leave him alone, had assumed that maybe being woken from a nightmare was an embarrassing enough thing that eddie wouldn't want to have to face (on top of everything else, of course), steve can't quite pull himself away. not when he hears him, hears those words. no, not him, don't you dare. steve doesn't even know who he thought it was eddie was worried about, whoever it was his nightmare was taunting him with. it could have been anyone - his uncle, an old friend, his dad, dustin, and it's that last option that has steve closing he distance. setting his arm on eddie's shoulder.
he expects the startling, expects the hand shooting out, so steve doesn't react too too much when eddie's fist grabs hold on his ratty old sleep shirt, fingers curling in the worn fabric. if anything, steve specifically holds still through it, even as eddie's forearm flattens to his chest, and the two of them look at each other.
steve watches, a bit mesmerized, as eddie comes back to himself. watches each piece of him come back into focus, his wide eyes and panting breaths. he can't help but notice the details, can't help but watch them play out so close to him. the color of eddie's eyes in the reflected light, the hair stuck to his damp forehead, probably from sweat. steve swears he can feels eddie's heartbeat from where steve's hand holds tight to his shoulder, can feel his own heightened heartbeat. shit eddie says, and tries to sit up, though he doesn't let go of steve's shirt. sorry he follows up with, even if it takes another moment or two before he lets go. and perhaps the worst part about all of this is that steve gets it, that he knows how this feels. ]
You're good, man. Really. [ is all he offers after a moment, as eddie slowly eases back to his senses. as steve can hear something like guilt, or perhaps embarrassment, settle in. there are another few passing moments that steve just makes sure eddie is breathing before he straightens up again, letting his hand fall from eddie's shoulder and in a kind of attempt to brush off whatever eddie might have tried to fill the space with, he moves to step away from the bed, to walk back into the bathroom and return with a cup of water that he sets on the bedside table. ]
The nightmares are killer, huh? [ he tries to offer with a small smile, though the smile itself feels shaky. steve's always a bit shaky in the middle of the night.
and then, a bit suddenly and without even asking, steve just ends up sitting down on the floor next to the bed - back to the bedside table - and lets out an exhale. ] You good?
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he expects the startling, expects the hand shooting out, so steve doesn't react too too much when eddie's fist grabs hold on his ratty old sleep shirt, fingers curling in the worn fabric. if anything, steve specifically holds still through it, even as eddie's forearm flattens to his chest, and the two of them look at each other.
steve watches, a bit mesmerized, as eddie comes back to himself. watches each piece of him come back into focus, his wide eyes and panting breaths. he can't help but notice the details, can't help but watch them play out so close to him. the color of eddie's eyes in the reflected light, the hair stuck to his damp forehead, probably from sweat. steve swears he can feels eddie's heartbeat from where steve's hand holds tight to his shoulder, can feel his own heightened heartbeat. shit eddie says, and tries to sit up, though he doesn't let go of steve's shirt. sorry he follows up with, even if it takes another moment or two before he lets go. and perhaps the worst part about all of this is that steve gets it, that he knows how this feels. ]
You're good, man. Really. [ is all he offers after a moment, as eddie slowly eases back to his senses. as steve can hear something like guilt, or perhaps embarrassment, settle in. there are another few passing moments that steve just makes sure eddie is breathing before he straightens up again, letting his hand fall from eddie's shoulder and in a kind of attempt to brush off whatever eddie might have tried to fill the space with, he moves to step away from the bed, to walk back into the bathroom and return with a cup of water that he sets on the bedside table. ]
The nightmares are killer, huh? [ he tries to offer with a small smile, though the smile itself feels shaky. steve's always a bit shaky in the middle of the night.
and then, a bit suddenly and without even asking, steve just ends up sitting down on the floor next to the bed - back to the bedside table - and lets out an exhale. ] You good?