Exalted

Steve turned off the tv as the credits started to roll, then yawned and stretched his back until a loud crack rewarded him and he slumped forward with a sigh. Robin had been a dead weight against his shoulder for at least half of the movie, and he peeked around her peacefully sleeping face to see Chrissy snuggled into the corner of the couch, also sound asleep. Eddie was curled up on the floor, tucked between the coffee table and the couch, and further investigation revealed that he was out like a light with his face smushed into Steve’s knee and at least four empties lined up next to him. Oh, boy, Steve thought. Two with dinner, then we broke out another six pack and he had four more? At least? He’s only been asleep about 20 minutes, he was talking right before the big fight scene.

He reached over and gently shook Robin. “Rob,” he whispered. “You need to get up and actually go to bed.”

She pushed herself upright, yawning blearily at him. “What time is it?”

“It’s half past one,” he told her quietly. “Take Chrissy with you,” he added. “She can’t drive home when she’s that tired.”

Robin gulped, but turned to wake Chrissy, who yawned like a kitten and smiled sweetly. “Bed time?” She asked, and Robin nodded. “I can sleep on the couch,” Chrissy offered, but Robin refused.

“My bed is huge,” she exaggerated. “I won’t even know you’re there,” she insisted, looking frantically over her shoulder at Steve, who made a shooing motion with his hands before looking down at the remaining sleeper.

“Hey,” he said, gently brushing Eddie’s hair out of his face. “The movie’s over.”

“Hmmn?” Eddie rubbed his face on Steve’s leg, then blinked and smiled sweetly up at him. “I missed the end,” he complained, and Steve chuckled. 

“We can watch it again sometime,” he said. “Come on, you need to go to bed.”

“Okay,” Eddie said, struggling to his feet and looking around for his shoes. “Do you know where my jacket is?” He asked, still groggy.

“No, Eddie, you can’t drive home half asleep.”Steve gently steered him down the hall. “You can sleep in my room.” Eddie wobbled into him on the way, and Steve mentally added and he’s at least half-drunk to his list of Perfectly Valid Reasons Why Eddie Needs to Spend the Night.

“Moving too fast Steve,” Eddie giggled as Steve seated him on the bed and turned to look for something for them both to sleep in. “I’m not that kind of boy.”

Steve raised a singular eyebrow at himself in the mirror over the dresser, both reassured by the statement and suddenly suspecting that, were the circumstances different, he would very much like Eddie to be that kind of boy, which wasn’t a thought he’d had lately. He pulled sweatpants out of the drawers and turned back to face the room, noting that Eddie had tipped over on the bed and has now laying on his side, giggling up at Steve. “I’m not sure what kind of boy you are,” he said, hands on hips. “Other than a drunk one.”

“I don’t drink much,” Eddie admitted. “But I bet I could smoke you under the table,” he said smugly.

“I don’t know if that’s actually a thing,” Steve handed him the sweatpants - or tried to, Eddie let them just drop onto his lap. “Put those on, you don’t want to sleep in jeans.” Steve turned to walk out of the room to change his own clothes, but a whining noise from Eddie made him look over his shoulder.

“Where’re you going?” Eddie asked, pushing himself up onto his hands. “This’s your room?”

“It is,” Steve held up his sweatpants. “I’m going to get changed, and then I’ll come back and make sure you’re settled. I’ll bring you some water,” he decided. “And some ibuprofen, or you’ll be hating life tomorrow.”

Eddie giggled again. “I get to sleep in your room, I will be loving life tomorrow,” he made a cheering motion and almost toppled off the bed. “Ooops.”

“Get changed, I’ll be right back.” Steve turned into the bathroom and shut the door behind him, holding onto the edge of the sink and leaning forward. I don’t even like drunk people, he thought. They are sloppy, and messy, they say a bunch of stuff they don’t mean, and they ruin the fun for everyone around them that isn’t drunk. That this was completely true did not in any way lessen his second thought, which was: that is the cutest shit I have ever seen in my life.

Steve changed and brushed his teeth before padding into the kitchen for three bottles of water. He tapped on the door to Robin’s room, and Robin called him in.

“Here,” he whispered. “Water and ibuprofen.” He shook out some tablets onto a tissue, and Robin smiled at him sleepily. 

“Thanks, love you,” she whispered as he turned to leave the room.

“Love you, too,” he said. “Light on or off?”

“Off,” Robin said, snuggling under the covers, where Chrissy was already sound asleep.

Steve flipped off the light and left the room, closing the door gently behind him and bringing the last bottle of water with him to his own room. He was relieved to see Eddie had managed to change his pants, but that was as far as he’d gotten. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking bereft.

“Hey, got you some water,” he held out the bottle. “Try drinking some of that.”

“I thought you left,” Eddie said, rubbing his eyes. “You were gone so long.”

“I brought Robin and Chrissy some water, too,” Steve said, twisting off the cap and pressing the bottle into Eddie’s hand before sitting next to him on the bed. Eddie immediately inclined over onto him, but at least he started drinking the water. “Whoa, whoa - slow down, don’t drink it all at once,” Steve guided Eddie’s hand down. “Take a couple of these,” he said, holding out the ibuprofen.

Eddie took the bottle and yawned, holding it and smiling sleepily at Steve again. “You smell like toothpaste,” he said happily. “Minty.”

Eddie likes mint. Steve almost physically batted that thought away. “I brushed my teeth,” Steve said, taking the bottle back to open it and give Eddie two tablets. “Here, take these.”

Eddie popped the ibuprofen in his mouth and washed them down with more water, handing the bottle back to Steve like a sleepy child. “Done,” he announced. He wasn’t done, but it was about half, so Steve decided it was good enough. “Bathroom,” Eddie stood up abruptly and wandered out of the room - not with the urgency of someone about to puke, so Steve didn’t follow. Eddie came back in a minute, no more steady on his feet, and now looking sad. “I couldn’t brush my teeth,” he said.

“I’ll give you a toothbrush in the morning,” Steve promised. “Unless you can’t sleep without it.” 

“I can sleep,” Eddie swayed slightly as he faced the bed, looking suspicious. “Where are you sleeping?”

“On the couch?” Steve said, pulling back the covers and motioning Eddie to get in. “It’s fine, I fall asleep there by mistake every time Robin makes me watch something with English accents.”

Eddie shook his head and crossed his arms across his chest. “There’s room enough for us both,” he said. “Or I’ll sleep on the couch, it’s your room.”

Steve looked at him appraisingly - he looked ready to drop where he stood, but he also looked like he was ready to be stubborn about this. Not that Steve didn’t want to sleep in the same bed. The problem was that he did, but he also wanted Eddie to not wake up in the morning thinking Steve had taken advantage of the situation. “How much of this conversation are you going to remember tomorrow?” He asked finally, and Eddie smiled.

“Probably not much,” he said. “I really don’t drink much.”

“More of a smoker, yes, I know.” Steve shook his head. “Fine, I’ll stay in here. You just better not freak out tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m not that drunk,” Eddie said as he followed Steve’s gesture and crawled to the side of the bed closest to the wall. “I’d never forget if we fucked,” he added, the language at odds his his expression, which was innocently reassuring.

“Good to know,” Steve muttered, getting in bed and pulling the covers over both of them before snapping off the lights and settling back on the pillows with a yawn. “Sorry. I should have been paying better attention and not let you drink so much,” he said into the darkened room. “That beer you brought was pretty hefty, too.”

“I told the guy at the store you liked that Night stuff, so he said get that, so I did. It was good.” Eddie wriggled around, messing with his pillows and the blankets.

After a few minutes of scuffling Steve rolled onto his side facing him and flopped an arm over him. “Stop wiggling. What’s wrong?

Eddie was dimly visible in the light from the window, and he turned his head to look at Steve. “I can’t sleep in a new place,” he said.

“Eddie, you fell asleep scrunched up on the floor in the living room.” Steve reminded him. “I’m sure you can fall asleep.” Eddie just stared back at him, and Steve tried to think. “Do you want to cuddle?” He asked at last, and Eddie gave him a dazzling smile.

“Yes,” Eddie crowed happily, pushing on Steve’s arm. “Turn over, turn over. I want a Steve-pillow.” Steve chuckled as he settled on his back, then held out his arms to Eddie.

“Come on then, baby,” he teased, and Eddie tucked himself against Steve’s side, sliding his arm over him to curl his hand near Steve’s neck, and laid his head over Steve’s heart. Steve wrapped one arm around him and settled his other hand on Eddie’s arm, rubbing his back soothingly. “Better?”

“The best,” Eddie breathed. “I can hear your heart. I hate when it’s too quiet,” he said in a small voice, and Steve tilted his head to try and look down at him.

“Do you want some music on?” He thought through what was on his phone. “Maybe Spotify? I don’t think I have anything on my phone you’d like.” Eddie nodded against his chest, and Steve reached over for his phone, opening it and tapping the icon. “Here, find something we can both sleep to. No screaming, please.”

Eddie blinked owlishly at the sudden light, but squinted at the screen near his face and tapped into the search bar. The Eagles started to play, and he adjusted the volume down until it was just a murmur. “Old people music,” he said as Steve plugged in the phone. “Wayne likes this stuff.”

“Sounds perfect, then,” Steve settled back against the pillows, and Eddie snuggled back into place. Like he’s always been there, Steve thought, dangerously. No getting too attached too soon, he reminded himself. 

Eddie was quiet long enough for Steve to think he was asleep, and he was just starting to drift when Eddie’s voice came out of the dark. “Hey, Steve?” Steve made an interrogative noise, and could feel Eddie plucking at his shirt, pleating in a fold and smoothing it out again. “Just out of curiosity, you know, but if I wasn’t drunk - because neither of us is that type of boy - would we be making out right now?”

Well, that’s a jolt to the blood flow, Steve thought, his heart suddenly slamming against his ribcage.

“Whoa, your heart went crazy.” Eddie lifted his head to look up at Steve. “Hey, Steve, is that a yes? Would we?”

“Eddie,” Steve rubbed his face. “I am begging you to just go to sleep.”

“That’s a yes,” Eddie said smugly, settling back down, and pinning Steve’s leg with one of his. “You want to kiss me, but you are too good of a guy to do it when I have been drinking.” He giggled. “Hey, Steve - will you do it tomorrow? Goodbye kiss, maybe? Wake up make outs? I would like wake up make outs,” he said, as if there was a menu to order affection from.

“It is my profound hope that you remember all of this tomorrow, and are embarrassed by your behavior,’ Steve tried to sound stern, but only managed to sound slightly desperate.

“Oh, I for sure will be,” Eddie told him. “But I will still want to kiss you.”

Steve looked down, and then pressed a kiss into the curls on the top of Eddie’s head. “That’ll have to do for now,” he said. “We’ll negotiate when you’re neither drunk nor hung over.”

Eddie sighed contentedly, and finally fell asleep. Steve laid awake longer, listening to Eddie’s breath in the dark, and enjoying the comfortable warmth and weight of having him in his arms. Robin had lectured him in the kitchen that evening - well, really more of a ‘concerned sister talk’ than a lecture. 

“If you aren’t trying to send him signals, you need to knock it off,” she’d warned him. “I know you’re the king of flirting without meaning to, but you have got to know what you’re doing.”

He’d leaned against the counter, a little irritated. “I do,” he said. “I know everyone thinks I’m some complete airhead, but believe it or not I don’t normally dip grown men I am not trying to suggest interest to.”

Robin had looked contrite. “I didn’t mean to say you were being stupid,” she apologized. “It’s just - he’s nice, and he seems to like you a lot, and he’s getting maybe a little territorial? So if you didn’t like him, you should back it down.” She paused. “And, if you do, you need to figure out that territorial thing.”

“I don’t think that’s what it is,” Steve disagreed, shaking his head. “I mean, it’s kind of coming out that way, I know, but it’s more of a ‘look at me’ thing. Like a kid.”

“Eddie’s not a kid, Steve,” Robin had cautioned.

Couldn’t prove it by this, Steve thought, resting his chin on top of Eddie’s head. He knew what Robin was talking about, and he probably shouldn’t have thought it was funny, but he did - there was definitely some sly malice going on, Eddie didn’t like other people liking Steve and he didn’t mind letting them think he had a reason to dislike it, but it was so brazen. So in your face and cocky, it just invited you in on the joke, and Steve loved it. It was among the many discoveries of ways in which he thought Eddie was cute that Steve had that evening, but he wasn’t complaining. Honestly, if someone was going to be a little protective of him for a change, it was fine with him.

Eddie snuffled in his sleep, and Steve rubbed his back until his breathing evened back out. I hope he doesn’t have any bad dreams, he thought, knowing that your brain has a way of keeping the door open after you’ve had a brush with big emotions. 

He knew that was the core of what he’d left unsaid with Robin, and what he didn’t even know if he could explain to her - what she read as possessiveness looked like protectiveness to Steve, and he recognized it because under the surface it was just like him. He’d been protective of people he dated before, and Robin had accused him of being over-protective at times, but he had never been able to feel bad about it. He wasn’t jealous, he just wanted them to be safe. He’d never really gotten much of it in return, though - Robin might fuss at him, but she also trusted him to take care of himself. His parents tried not to interfere too much, because he’d always been an adult to them. His original parents had been as far from protective as you could  get. 

So this thing with Eddie was kind of new. New, and nice, and he didn’t really want to share it with anyone yet, not even Robin. He liked feeling like Eddie trusted him enough to let his guard down, to be emotional, to be silly, to be cocky, to get drunk and act like a kid that wanted to be spoiled and trusted that Steve was going to spoil him, and watch over him.

Which made the fact that Eddie, still sound asleep, had started nuzzling into his neck and tracing his hand down over his stomach and back up in a repeating pattern that was the opposite of soothing a bit of a problem. He’s an absolute menace, even in his sleep, Steve thought. “Eddie,” he whispered, capturing his hand and holding it still. “Shhh.”

“Shhhh, Stevie is sleeping,” Eddie murmured back in his sleep. “Can’t wake up the pretty angel, he needs his rest. Shhh. He’s so nice.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. Eddie, he had just discovered, was a sleep-talker. “Who’s nice?” He asked.

“Steve,” Eddie breathed out. “He’s so nice. And he’s got such pretty eyes. And his arms, he’s so strong. And his ass belongs in a museum.”

Steve felt himself turn beet red in the dark. This is probably unfair and a little mean, he thought. It was also irresistible. “I’m sure he thinks you’re nice, too,” he whispered back.

“Mmmm, hope so.” Eddie sighed. “Trying really hard. You should see his thighs. I bet he’s got a really big-“ Steve coughed loudly, and Eddie blinked awake for a second, before settling down into blessedly silent sleep.

Yep, shouldn’t have done that, Steve thought as he stared at the ceiling and started counting sheep.