Hey mae! I had a thought for poly!steddie kinda like the sleeping fic you did for poly marauders where reader has trouble sleeping/falling asleep cause theyre not used to sleeping next to people, basically the same concept but maybe reader waking one of them up and steve and eddie just banter till reader falls asleep? or maybe eddie reading them a book or something? I basically use your fics as bedtime stories and i love the ones where whoever helps reader sleep haha but if its too similar or repetitive dont worry about it! Hope youre doing well!<3
Thanks for requesting angel, hope this is a decent bedtime story for you <3
poly!Steddie x fem!reader ♡ 771 words
You’d known that sleeping in the same bed as your boyfriends for the first time would be different than sleeping by yourself, but you hadn’t expected them to be so clingy. Or so hot.
Despite how eager you were to get into Steve’s warm bed, you feel slick in the places Eddie’s wound his legs like vines around yours, or where Steve’s hand pillows the back of your neck. It should be cozy, but you’re kept awake by the fear that one of them will notice. The horror of your boyfriends thinking back on your first sleepover as a damp, swampy discomfort.
Too hot to sleep, too afraid to move. You’re well and truly trapped.
It’s impossible to tell how long goes by before you decide to try anyway. Long enough for your muscles to feel sore from being held so long at attention. Your neck clicks as you turn your head, hoping to scope out an avenue for escape, only to freeze when you find Eddie’s beady eyes staring back at you.
He looks amused at your surprise, the edges of his smile still soft with sleep. “Hey.”
You blink at him. “Hi.”
“How long’ve you been up?”
“I, um…” You shift your legs out from between his, a bit guilty for the relief you feel. “I haven’t been able to go to sleep.”
“Nah.” His hand coasts over your hip, touching you idly as he looks you over. “I was up.”
You know it’s not wholly true. You heard Eddie snoring just a little while ago. “Why?”
“Because,” Steve grumbles, and you freeze all over again, “he’s a creature of the night.”
Eddie huffs a laugh at the self-reproach that must be plain in your expression. “That’s vampires, babe,” he says fondly.
Steve mumbles some bitterness into his pillow.
“I’m sorry,” you murmur.
Eddie shakes his head at you. “You’re good. He’s always like this at night. Roll over, I’ve got something we can try.”
You watch him bemusedly as he sits up, dragging the covers with him until they’re down to your waist. He gives your shoulder a nudge.
“What?” you ask, rolling onto your stomach.
Rather than answering, Eddie sets his hands to your shoulders. His touch is warm, but not the damp heat you were trapped in before. It works like a balm for your strung-up-tight muscles.
“Oh.” The word tips out of you on a sigh. This is familiar. A couple of weeks ago, when Eddie’s van broke down and you both had to walk to Steve’s, you’d complained half-teasingly that your feet were killing you from the hike. Eddie gave them a massage to make it up to you, and you’d nearly drifted off with your head in Steve’s lap. “Eds, you don’t have to.”
“Kinda do,” he replies. “First time here, and you don’t catch a wink of sleep? You might never come back.” He pauses. “Plus, you feel like you need it, baby. Shit.”
Eddie presses harder into your back, and you don’t smother soon enough the thready sound that escapes you.
Sheets whisper against each other as Steve rolls over. “You okay?” he asks, ten degrees more caring than he sounded a minute ago.
“Yeah,” you murmur. “Sorry I woke you.”
The window on Eddie’s side of the bed bleeds streetlight through the curtains, casting Steve’s face in orangey yellow and shadow. His mouth pulls to the side as he lifts a hand to your cheek, pulling a piece of hair from your mouth. “It’s okay. You gonna be able to get to sleep?”
Eddie pffts. “Have a little faith.” He leans into a spot on your back, provoking a small click that in turn provokes a sigh from you. He pauses. “Was that a good sound?”
“Yeah,” you confirm.
“Okay, cool. So yeah, Harrington, a little faith. I’m working magic here.”
“What about you?” you ask him.
“What about me, beautiful?”
“Are you…” You’re interrupted by a yawn. Steve strokes your cheek approvingly. “...gonna sleep?”
“Oh. Yeah.” Eddie’s voice goes tender. “Yeah, ‘course. I’ll be able to sleep once you’re asleep, okay?”
He pushes your shoulders into the mattress, and your body heeds the suggestion, growing heavier. “‘Kay.”
You can practically feel Eddie’s smugness emanating off him above you. Steve must see it on his face, because he scoffs quietly. You make a questioning hum, and he murmurs that it’s nothing while his thumb runs sweetly across your jaw.
The world softens and blurs, and this warmth is much more welcoming.
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steve loves baths, loves them even more in his family's huge bathtub, because then you and eddie can join him. <3 eddie tried to start something but steve just pulls Eddie closer to him and lets you wash his hair <3 you all take turns helping each other shampoo, condition and wash your bodies. there's nothing sexual about it, just a nice time together. there's bubbles and a scent of lavender that falls over the three of you. you've never felt more at peace, until eddie decides to start splashing you both.
Hii mae i don’t know if you’re still taking requests or if you’re still doing poly steddie x reader but if you are can we have a sickfic ?
First request kinda nervy much love 🤍
- 🪼 anon
Ofc I am and ofc we can!
modern au
poly!steddie x fem!reader ♡ 659 words
You admit you paint a rather dramatic picture when Eddie comes home. Lying supine on the couch, arm cast over your face, eyes squeezed shut.
“Uh, hey,” he says. You hear the heavy thud of his bag dropping to the floor, and a moment later the couch sinks by your legs. “What’s your deal?”
“Nothing.” You move your arm a smidge to see him. “Just spent too long looking at my laptop.” Your stomach gurgles pointedly. “And I’m sort of hungry. How was work?”
“Better than yours, it sounds like.” Eddie’s voice has that slight hoarseness it gets after he’s been singing for a while; a dead giveaway he spent more of his shift at the record store sneaking off to practice with his bandmates than he did working. You’re envious (not of the band practice necessarily, but of the slacking off). He rubs your hip. “I feel like I can help with at least one of those things. What do you want to eat, pretty girl?”
“Steve’s already making dinner,” you tell him, "but thanks."
“Oh, yeah? What’re we having?”
Your eyes burn, and you cover them with your arm again. “Soup, I think? I’m not sure.”
“I’ll go find out.”
You’re both surprised and not when Eddie’s lips press to yours a moment later, a small sound half forming in your throat as he pats your hip and begins to stand.
“What’re you—don’t kiss her.”
Eddie straightens up fast. “Jesus,” he says. “I thought somebody's dad was here for a second.”
Steve makes an exasperated sort of huffing sound. You don’t have to open your eyes to know his hands have landed on his hips. “What the hell are you doing?”
“What am I doing? I thought I was kissing my girlfriend. Why are you acting like you’re gonna call the cops?”
“She’s sick, idiot. You wanna get sick?”
“I am not,” you argue idly.
Eddie’s tone takes a dip into sympathy. “You’re sick?”
“No. I just looked at my laptop for too long.”
“You have a fever,” says Steve, the sternness of him softening the tiniest bit. “You’re totally getting sick."
“It’s just hot in here.”
“It’s really not, actually.”
There’s a pause while you both wait for Eddie to decide who he’ll back up. He betrays you kindly, at least, setting his hand consolingly across your forehead. “It’s not, sweetness. You should have called me earlier. I was just dicking around at work. We could have dicked around together.”
Steve makes an amused noise. “I don’t think that’s really what she needs to—”
“Hey, get your mind out of the gutter, Harrington.”
Eddie’s hand leaves your forehead, and then you hear the familiar sounds of him kissing Steve wholeheartedly. You sneak a peek. Steve’s posture is relaxing (hands indeed on his hips, but lowering now), a dish towel thrown over his shoulder.
He sighs when the kiss ends. Eddie looks satisfied with himself.
“Well,” says Steve, meeting your eyes over Eddie’s shoulder, “I guess we’re all getting sick now.”
“Or none of us are,” you try.
Eddie laughs, turning and plopping back down next to you on the couch. “No, you’re for sure sick. But the good news is, you’re totally rocking it.”
You groan. You have to admit it does come out sounding more nasally than you expect. “I don’t want to.”
“Yeah,” Steve hums compassionately, “none of us did.”
“Speak for yourselves,” says Eddie. “The only thing better than dicking around at work is not going. We should start figuring out what movies we’re going to rent before it really sets in.”
You groan again, rolling over so your aching eyes are pressing into a throw pillow.
An amused puff comes from Steve. He squats down beside you to kiss your cheek. “Sorry, honey.”
Your voice is muffled into the pillow. “I thought you didn’t want to kiss me.”
“Shut up, you know that wasn't it. Anyway, we’re all in this now.”
Mae, have you ever done a whimsical reader with Steddie? I don’t really have an idea exactly but I love reading whimsical reader. I think whimsical reader would both confuse and make Steddie swoon
I have not! And I agree, I think she would :)
poly!Steddie x whimsical!reader ♡ 668 words
You’ve been missing for a whole afternoon before your boyfriends set out to find you. They know better than to be worried—you have a tendency to set out with purpose and then get diverted along the way—but they also know better than to think you’ll notice it’s getting dark out with enough time to make it home.
Steve and Eddie split up with intent to meet back at Skull Rock by sunset, and of course that’s where Eddie finds you, sitting pretzel-style on the ground laying down pieces of bread while Steve slaps the back of his neck agitatedly.
“Hey, beautiful,” Eddie says, loving how you and Steve both look up. He was talking to both of you, really.
“Hi.” Your voice floats towards him like dandelion seeds on a summer breeze. For someone who’s made no effort to come home all day, you look genuinely pleased to see him. “Your hair looks nice.”
Eddie grins. He’s tied it up in a bun because it’s so fucking hot out, and it’s probably damp and frizzy, but of course you would find something to like. “Thanks. Where’d you run off to today?”
You hum. “I wanted to go sit in the stream.”
“It’s dried up,” Steve informs Eddie.
“It was dried up,” you echo wistfully. “So then I came here to lie in the sun, and when I woke up—”
“She fell asleep,” Steve fills in, his voice heavy with a signature mix of dryness and affection. His mouth twists as he smacks a spot on his arm.
“—I saw these ants taking apart an old apple to carry it away. I find their organization very impressive, don’t you?”
Eddie raises his eyebrows at you. “Super impressive, yeah. Sweetheart, did you nap here for the whole afternoon?”
You take your attention off the ants by your knees for a moment to blink up at him. “I don’t know. Is the afternoon over?”
Steve huffs an appalled laugh. “Yeah, it’s over. You know it’s over because the fucking mosquitos are out. Are you two not being eaten alive?”
“Nope,” says Eddie, at the same time as you say, “I don’t mind them taking what they need.”
Steve’s brows sew together concernedly at that, but he only snaps, “Can we go, please?”
“Okay, you big baby.” Eddie slings an arm around Steve’s neck, hauling him in for a kiss. “Jesus. Can’t even take a couple of mosquito bites, huh?”
“I think it’s sweet,” you say. You ensure the last few pieces of your bread are broken up and dispersed before standing. “It means they like your blood the best. I bet they really appreciate you.”
Steve scoffs as he threads his fingers through yours. “Oh, great. They appreciate me.” He bumps Eddie’s hip. “Are we sure they’re not all just going to me because he’s anemic?”
“Your contribution does a lot to help the forest ecosystem, Steve.”
“I think he’d like it better if they asked,” Eddie tells you, shooting your boyfriend a teasing look. “Isn’t that right, pretty boy?”
You frown at this, as though a bit distraught on behalf of the mosquitos. “I’m sure they would if they could.”
Steve mumbles something like okay, pressing a pacifying kiss to your head.
“It’s a good thing the bugs have you to look out for them,” Eddie tells you. “I mean, standing up for mosquitos, giving your lunch to ants…”
“I still ate most of it,” you say. Steve’s kiss seems to have lifted your mood considerably (Eddie can also testify to this effect). You’re now gently swinging your joined hands between you as you walk. “I didn’t think they needed much. It’s just that sometimes one of the ants would go out of the line, and I didn’t want them to feel silly coming back with nothing.”
So you laid down tiny pieces of your bread in their path. Fucking adorable.
Steve and Eddie share a look, and this time it’s Steve who says, “They’re lucky to have you, babe.”
Ploy! Steddie where they take you to the beach for a beach day. And you’re wearing a new bikini and neither of them can keep their eyes off of you! Also, imagine Steve burying Eddie in the sand. And Eddie having his hair up in a messy bun cause it’s too hot for him to have it down.
Anyway! I love your Steddie x reader fics with all my heart!!! ❤️ 🏖️
Thank you for your request angel!! Love you <3
poly!Steddie x fem!reader ♡ 538 words
Steve’s hair gets amazingly fluffy after it’s dried with lake water in it. You run your fingers through it, from the nape of his neck going up, and marvel.
“I think I could braid this,” you say.
Steve turns to give you a leery look, his fist suspended in this air where he’s dribbling wet sand into piles on Eddie’s leg. “It’s not that long.”
You hum, combing your fingers through it again. “A french braid, maybe. Or a couple of little ones at the ends.”
“Aweee,” Eddie croons. He’s grinning at Steve, all smize behind the borrowed sunglasses (Steve’s) he’s donned for the day. “We could match! Wouldn’t that be perfect?”
Steve retaliates by dribbling wet sand onto Eddie’s stomach, which ends up being more attractive than he probably means for it to be. Eddie falls back onto his towel with a dramatic oof.
You’ve picked a good day to come to the beach. One of the pros of working dead-end jobs (Steve’s mom’s words, which you like to throw around jokingly between you at every opportunity) is having days off in the middle of the week, so the shore of Lake Michigan isn’t as crowded as it would be on a Saturday. You have a good ten-foot radius of it all to yourselves. The air coming off the lake is cool, but the sun is hot, and together it makes for the perfect weather for lazing around on the sand. Eddie’s got his hair pulled back in a loose bun, sunblock white on the back of his neck. Steve keeps wanting to retie the strings of your new bikini to make sure they’re secure. You’re enveloped in a feeling of heavy, sun-soaked contentment.
“If you grow it out some more, we can do a braid train,” Eddie teases. “She can braid your hair, I’ll do hers, and one of us can teach you to do mine.”
“Do you know how to braid?” you ask Eddie.
“He does not,” Steve says certainly.
Eddie makes an indignant sound and sits up. The piles of sand Steve was making on his leg slide off. “You bet your ass I do.”
Steve frowns at where his miniature sand castles used to be, and he looks so put out you can’t help but laugh a little, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
“I’m gonna swim,” you announce, standing. Sand sticks to your butt and the backs of your legs, and you brush some off with your hands.
“Jesus,” Eddie pants. His voice has gone unusually quiet.
You turn around to find both of your boyfriends staring at you. Steve’s momentary upset appears completely forgotten.
You laugh, doing your best to ignore the shot of vanity that goes through you. “Are you serious? You’ve seen me in less.”
“It’s different,” Eddie replies instantly.
You raise your eyebrows at him, but when you turn to Steve, he only shrugs helplessly. “It is,” he agrees. At least looking half sheepish. “I’ll come swim with you.”
“I’m gonna—yeah, I’m gonna get in, too.” Eddie’s tongue seems to twist over itself in his mouth.
You bite down on a smile. “I thought you said the water was too cold?”
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hii queen i was just reading all your poly!steddie stuff and omg cuties☹️☹️ i was wondering if you could write something about the couple on a nice day out (or literally whatever) and reader seeing eddie and steve having a cute moment together and getting emotional because reader is super sentimental/in love with them? i literally adore your writing!!
Thanks for your request, I adore you more!!
poly!Steddie x fem!reader ♡ 641 words
“How do you get it like this?”
“It has a mind of its own, Harrington.”
“Well, it just—” You step into Steve’s backyard, pitcher of lemonade in hand, to find Steve trying clumsily to untangle the knots in Eddie’s hair. He seems mostly to be getting his own fingers tangled in it in the process. “It seems like if you’re going to have it this long you should know how to take care of it.”
Eddie tilts his head back in Steve’s lap, raising his eyebrows. “You want me to cut it off?”
Steve makes a low tsking noise. “I didn’t say that.”
They’re splayed out on the warm concrete, Steve’s head bent over his work and Eddie’s bare feet dangling in the pool. They haven’t heard you come outside. The sun warms Steve’s hair to a golden brown as Eddie reaches up to take one of the longer strands between his fingers.
“We can’t all have perfect, boy next door hair,” he teases.
Steve hums. “I guess that’s true.”
“Dick.” Eddie grins, giving Steve’s hair a yank. Steve pulls Eddie’s hair in turn. “Ow. Hey, you know I’m usually into that, but that was kinda rough.”
“Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it,” Steve taunts, bending to console your boyfriend with a kiss.
Eddie palms Steve’s face from upside down and accepts the offer eagerly. His feet stop kicking around in the pool, both boys softening in the span of seconds before their lips part. Your chest aches with soul-splitting affection.
Eddie leans up to claim another kiss before Steve can get away. “Hi,” he says.
Steve’s voice is warm. “Hi, idiot.”
“What’s this?” Eddie strokes his thumb over Steve’s jaw, painfully gentle.
“Huh?”
You grin along with Eddie. Your boyfriend is so hopeless when he gets caught up in you. “You have a cut here, baby.”
“Oh.” Steve feels it, his fingers covering Eddie’s. “Must’ve been from shaving.”
“Ouch.”
“I didn’t even know it was there.”
Eddie frowns, running his thumb over it again. “Fine. Just be a little more careful with my boyfriend next time, okay? I like his face the way it is.”
Steve’s cheeks pink, but his smile is cocky. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re not gonna fucking embarass me, Harrington. I’m not ashamed of it.”
“Wanna say that on camera, then?”
“I plead the fifth.” Eddie turns his face away, catching sight of you. “Hey, beautiful. That for us?”
You remember the lemonade, stepping the rest of the way outside and shutting Steve’s back door behind you. “Yup,” you say.
Eddie sits up, forcing Steve to abandon his task with Eddie’s hair, and he helps you unstack the cups you brought from inside. You can’t stop smiling.
Steve’s eyeing you, one part suspicion and two parts fondness. “What?”
“What?” You play dumb.
He pokes a finger into your cheek. “What’s up with this?”
You laugh, making Steve smile despite himself. “Nothing.”
“Definitely something,” Eddie muses. He takes the cup you offer him, studying you as he drinks. “What, are you feeling left out, pretty girl?”
Though it’s nowhere near the truth, your cheeks flame at the suggestion in his tone. “No.” You roll your eyes. “Just thinking about how pruney your toes must be.”
Eddie takes his feet out of the pool without missing a beat. A stream of water trails after them as he swivels around, setting his cold feet next to your warm ones. “Wanna feel?” He waggles his eyebrows.
“Mm, nope.”
“Come on, I know you’re obsessed with my feet. You basically just admitted it.”
“Jesus.” Steve’s nose has wrinkled. “Get those away from her, you freak.”
Eddie doesn’t break your gaze. “You’re disgusting,” you tell him.
“Aw. You love me.”
You grimace, letting Steve pull you to his side, away from the threat of Eddie’s pruney toes. “I guess so.”
Hi Mae! I humbly request poly!Steddie with the cuddle prompt - “oh god, did i fall asleep?”
Thank you for requesting my love!
poly!Steddie x fem!reader ♡ 737 words
There’s something simultaneously soft and hard pillowing your cheek. It’s warm. And your neck hurts. You peel your eyes open to a blue-lit room.
It takes you a handful of seconds to realize you’re not in your bed. The room is so familiar that it almost seems like you could be, Steve’s basement the backdrop for enough of your memories to make you feel lazy and safe. But it’s not your bedroom, and you’re not lying down, you’re upright. Mostly. You’re slumped against someone’s side with a blanket over your lap and your head on their shoulder. Eddie’s, if the feel of ringed fingers wrapped around your thigh is any indication.
You look up, and there he is: turning his head to look back at you, eyebrows raised amusedly.
“Oh god,” you croak, “did I fall asleep?”
There’s a smile playing on the ends of your boyfriend’s lips. “Take a wild guess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you better be.” Eddie leans down the short distance to kiss your nose, his own all scrunched up in faux upset. “It wasn’t just you, either.”
His gaze slips downward, and you follow it to find Steve asleep in your lap. He’s taking up more than half the couch, one leg stretched out to dangle off the armrest and the other bent at an angle. The blanket across your lap is strewn half over his shoulders.
“Figured you guys wouldn’t mind if I started the second movie without you,” Eddie says wryly, affection coating his tone. “You didn’t seem super invested.”
“Sorry,” you say again, yawning. “What time is it?”
Eddie softens. “Pretty late. You wanna go home?”
“I feel like I probably should. I’m just so…” Another massive yawn takes you. Your eyes water. “...tired, all of a sudden.”
“You don’t say.” There’s laughter in Eddie’s voice, quieted due to the late hour. You think he has to be tired, too. “Alright, I’ll take you home, but you have to wake up sleeping beauty first.”
Steve is already rousing at the sounds of your voices. You put a hand in his hair, and he mumbles, “M’watching. It’s good.”
Eddie chokes out a laugh. “Fuck you. You two have no appreciation for art.”
“Steve.” You smile, scratching gently at his scalp. “We have to go, baby.”
“Hm?” Your boyfriend’s eyes crack open as he rolls over in your lap, looking between you and Eddie with bunched brows. “Where are we going?”
“Eddie and I have to go,” you correct yourself, “home.”
“Oh.” Steve doesn’t look pleased about this. His cheek squishes closer to your thigh. “Already?”
“Guess you’re probably wishing you hadn’t slept through all our time together,” Eddie hums.
You scoff and bat the back of your hand lightly against his chest. “Mean.”
“Yeah, I know.” He pats Steve’s back, impenitent. “Get off her, babe.”
Steve groans but does, sitting up to watch in petulant silence as you and Eddie put your shoes on and get ready to go. It’s the sort of needy he only ever owns when he’s tired, and it makes you genuinely sorry you can’t stay.
“Have a good night.” You kiss him, smoothing a piece of hair from his face as you do. Steve squeezes your waist.
“Stop pouting,” Eddie teases when it’s his turn. He cups your boyfriend by the back of the neck and gives him the sort of kiss sure to wake him up. “We’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll make sure to put on another cinematic masterpiece you two can both sleep through.”
Steve makes some muttery comment about Eddie’s idea of a cinematic masterpiece when you’re too far up the stairs to really hear him. You think that’s probably by design, but Eddie calls back that he’d better watch his pretty mouth anyway. Steve can’t see the fondness in his expression, but you do. It’s only then, as you’re emerging from the basement into the lit hallway, that you see the dark splotch on the sleeve of Eddie’s t-shirt.
“Oh my god.” You stare at it, horrified. “Did I drool on you?”
“Oh, yeah.” Eddie doesn’t even have to look to know what you’re talking about. He holds the front door open for you to go outside. “Big time. It was pretty impressive considering you weren’t asleep for that long, honestly.”
You cover your face with your hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“Baby, are you kidding me? I’m never washing this shirt again.”
may i humbly request our lovely steddie with a carsick reader on a roadtrip. i imagine it’s eddies poor driving that sparks it and i could so picture steve and eddie bickering about it but still being very sweet to reader until she feels better
ily feel free to change what you want or not write it at all! thank you either way <3
Thanks for requesting <3
cw: nausea
poly!Steddie x fem!reader ♡ 771 words
Steve is on to you. Glancing at you at first in his visor mirror and then by turning around in his seat, an uneasy set to his brows. You try to focus on the A/C blowing on your knees via the small plastic vent.
Eddie swerves into the next lane, and your throat tightens.
“Hey,” Steve says to him, agitated, “take it easy.”
“What?”
“You’re driving like you’re trying to kill us.”
“If I was trying to kill you, I’d have done it back in Iowa.” Eddie gives Steve’s leg a jostle, firm but fond. “And if you’re gonna be a backseat driver, I’ll put you in the backseat.”
You aren’t looking, but he must be too distracted to notice the car in front of you slowing until it’s close. Your body rocks forward as he puts on the brakes.
“I’m gonna open my window,” you say weakly. The windows in the front seat of Eddie’s van have hand cranks, but yours in the back only has a latching mechanism that allows it to open barely an inch. It’s enough for a concentrated stream of wind to hit your face if you lean your head against the glass.
“Baby, on the highway?” Eddie asks over the whistling of air.
“You’re making her sick,” Steve accuses.
“I am not.” Eddie glances back at you. “Am I making you sick?”
“No,” you mumble.
“Stop driving like a lunatic.” The range between the glare Steve pins Eddie with and the soft look he gives you is impressive. “Hey, try to look out the front window if you can, okay? Do you wanna switch seats?”
“That’s okay.” You breathe in, focussing on the fresh air hitting your face. “I’m good.”
“Is it the heat? Are you hot?”
“She’s always hot,” says Eddie, earning him a shove. “Hey! No attacking the driver.”
Steve frowns at you. “Do you want to stop? We can pull over for a while.”
You shake your head, stopping when your nausea worsens. “It’ll pass.”
“Okay. Look out the front window, honey.”
You do. Eddie’s eyes continually dart to you in the rear view mirror. You meet them once, and he pouts.
“You want some of my coke?” he offers. “It’s, uh, kind of warm, but…”
“I’m okay.” You offer a wan smile. “Thanks.”
Steve turns around again. “Are you sure you don’t want to pull over? We could use a stop anyway.”
You lean into the wind blasting through your window, breathing deeply. “I’m fine.”
Five minutes later finds you sitting on the curb of a gas station with your head to your knees.
Eddie lifts your hair. The sun beating down on your neck is worth it for the cooling power of the breeze. He’s asked how you’re feeling about every ten seconds since you exited the highway. You’ve stopped answering in anything but hums and grunts.
The crisp sound of a soda can opening is about the best thing you’ve heard all day.
“Here.” Steve sits on your other side. “See if this helps.”
Beads of condensation roll off the can of ginger ale, wetting both Steve’s palm and yours when you take it. You tilt your chin up to take a sharp, fizzy sip.
Eddie grins when you exhale.
“Good stuff, huh?” he asks hopefully.
“It helps,” you agree.
“I think we should wait a while before getting back on the road,” says Steve. “But when we do, I’m driving.”
“Uh.” Eddie’s eyebrows raise. “No, you are not.”
Steve gives him an unamused look. He mimics Eddie’s intonation. “Yeah, I am.”
“No! It’s Eddie’s Van Halen. Eddie drives.”
“Oh, grow up. We were going to have to switch out at some point between here and California.”
“I don’t know what you were thinking, but I have a twelve-pack of Jolts in the back. I can go all night.”
“Perfect, that sounds super safe. It was your driving that got her carsick in the first place.”
Something dangerously close to contrition flashes across Eddie’s expression as he looks to you.
You give him a sorry smile. “I’m feeling a lot better now.”
His mouth tilts. “Yeah? Glad to hear it, beautiful. Hey, maybe when we hit the road again we can try something new. Obviously you’re a better candidate for the passenger seat than Stevie here, so you can play DJ.” He waggles his eyebrows. “We have an array of music in Eddie’s Van Halen, with vocal accompaniment by yours truly.”
Steve huffs, an eye roll in audible form.
Before they can start bickering again, you say, “Yeah, sure. A distraction might help.”
