you do you, boo boo

Dustin curses and rattles on about building some frequency antenna something or other, then tells Eddie, "I'll see you later, man," with a big grin. With that, he runs out the door, and Steve gets in a, "I'm here too!" before the door closes.

Steve sighs and goes right back to staring at Eddie, who stares back this time. He grins at Steve. "Alone at last."

Steve scoffs, breaking eye contact so he can grab supplies from his hall closet. When he returns, Eddie looks at the items in his hand and drops his head back against the couch. "My hero," he says, stretching out the word for far longer than it needs to be stretched.

It's all an act to prepare for the pain of the disinfectant - vodka from Murray, their personal Santa. As Steve takes off the bandages, he tries to distract Eddie from the inevitable, going through their well-practiced routine. "Do I need to remind you about-"

"Not being my usual whimsical self because it aggravates my injuries? I'm pretty sure I've got the speech memorized, Harrington," he hisses the word out as Steve applies the disinfectant.

"Sorry," Steve says, although he really isn't, since he asked Eddie to not be a damn hero, but here they are. Post heroics.

He finishes up quickly, wrapping Eddie up and handing him a bottle of pain meds courtesy of Robin's hospital trips. He cracks it open, throwing back two pills and dry swallowing them.

"You couldn't have waited until I got you water?"

Eddie smiles. "Nope."

Steve puts his hands on his hips and stares down at him. There's only so much he can deal with.

Eddie cocks his head to the side. "You keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Staring."

Steve swallows as he looks away, cleaning up the area around them. "I'm not staring," he lies.

He can see Eddie give him an incredulous look out of the corner of his eye.

Steve sighs, still not looking at him when he says, "I'm just... trying to see what Dustin sees in you."

Eddie's hands dramatically clasp over his heart. "Ouch, man."

"Not what I mean."

"Then, what do you mean?" Eddie presses on.

Steve ignores him.

"Steeeeve," Eddie groans. "You're my only entertainment around here. Give me something, man."

"Your only entertainment besides Dustin, who visits you once a day, and the other kids who stop by at least three times a week without so much acknowledging the actual person who lives here. You're so bored without them, I get it."

He puts the supplies away, ignoring the unfamiliar silence from Eddie that really doesn't sit well with him. Steve risks a glance back at the couch, finding Eddie to be the one staring, his eyebrows pinched together. Steve doesn't want to touch this conversation with a ten-foot pole, so he tries to escape to his room.

"If you leave, I'll try to climb up those stairs alone," Eddie warns him.

Steve stops on the first step, rolling his eyes and very reluctantly making it back to his living room. "Happy?"

"Very," Eddie says with a small grin. He cocks his head to the side, eyes flickering to the seat beside him. Steve joins him on the couch, crossing his arms to indicate his discomfort. "Do you need me to remind you how much Dustin worships you?"

Steve can't help but laugh humorlessly. "Yeah, you see how much he does. Can't even get a hello or goodbye in my own home."

"Maybe you should try nearly dying for him sometime," Eddie jokes, but it's still a little too soon for Steve to truly laugh about it. "Seriously, man, the kid adores you. If I weren't as injured as I am, he would have us in a full-blown custody battle. Just wait until I can conquer those stairs on my own, he'll be right back at your side, singing your praises." He bats his eyelashes at Steve, only dropping the act when he sees the flat look on his face. "Steve Harrington, do I need to sing your praises in the meantime?"

Steve rolls his eyes. "I'm thinking instead we should see how we do on the stairs today."

Eddie frowns but sticks his hands out, letting Steve help him up, holding his hands lightly as he takes a few steps forward. "You're really great with the kids, and they'd be lost without you - especially Dustin."

Steve's eyebrow quirks up. "I thought I said stairs instead of praise."

"I think I'm capable of doing both. Just like you're capable of getting through this time where the kids aren't appreciating you as much as they should."

"Is that right?" Steve asks, tightening his grip on Eddie's hands as he takes a wobbly step forward.

"It is. And I seem to remember you saying something about me being bored without the kids here."

Steve doesn't say anything in response as they reach the steps. He lets Eddie grab onto the railing while he wraps an arm around his torso, trying to avoid his injuries as much as he can. "Ready?" he asks.

Eddie nods, determination washing over his features on his first step up. He gets a few steps in before he pauses, taking deep breaths. "I think... I haven't told you how much I appreciate you."

"Alright, break is over," Steve says, trying to urge Eddie along.

Eddie takes a step. "You've been..." he takes another step. "A great host." Another. "You're surprisingly funny." He takes a few more steps and pauses again.

"You okay?" Steve checks in.

Eddie nods. "I can make it." He takes a few more seconds before continuing on. "I see why Dustin loves you. I didn't want to." He takes another pause, this time to look at Steve. "But... I do."

Steve looks back, staring again, getting the fluttery feeling he usually does when Eddie's overwhelmingly in his space.

Eddie sways a bit, and Steve tightens his grip around him. "You sure you can make it?"

"I can do anything with you, Harrington," Eddie flirts, getting a small smile out of Steve. He makes it up the next few steps, pausing a bit before the final landing. "So, this crawl thing... do you think it'll be dangerous?"

Steve shrugs. "Probably not for the people staying up here, which will include me."

"That's a shame. No way to impress Dustin that way," Eddie jokes before taking a few very slow steps up the stairs, and finally making it to the top. He laughs in relief and leans into Steve, squeezing the arm braced around him a little tighter. "To your bedroom now?" he asks hopefully.

"You're relentless, man," Steve says, but he plays his part and bends down, sweeping Eddie up in his arms in a bridal hold as he carries him to his room. It's become Eddie's ridiculous reward, but he loves making fun of the plaid room while lying in his bed.

Steve lightly kicks his door open and gently deposits Eddie on his sheets. He pulls away, but Eddie grabs his wrist, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Will you lie with me?"

Steve doesn't think twice before nodding and joining the man, staring up at his ceiling as Eddie fidgets with his rings.

The silence between them grows on until Eddie suddenly asks, "Will you promise me something?"

Steve turns his head, watching Eddie, whose eyes remain fixated on the ceiling. "If the crawl becomes dangerous, can you promise not to be a hero? I know it's rich coming from me, but... I know Dustin wouldn't survive losing you." He spins the ring on his pointer finger and turns to look at Steve. "And I don't think I could survive it either."

Without overthinking it, Steve puts his hand over Eddie's, squeezing it. "I won't be a hero," he promises, hoping that he can keep it unlike Eddie.

"Good," Eddie says, intertwining their fingers. "I want Dustin to myself for a little longer."

Steve laughs loudly, and Eddie joins him, wincing a bit and asking Steve to not give him his usual lecture, which only makes Steve laugh harder.