Written Based On A Prompt From Here

written based on a prompt from here

aurora: write a scene where your character sees the sunrise

wc: 873 rating: general

Eddie can’t sleep.

He caught a few hours, but he’s been tossing and turning for so long his skin is starting to feel raw against the sheets.

He climbs out of bed and pulls on the thick socks that were kicked off during his short lived slumber. Quietly making his way out of the room, Eddie allows the cool air to soothe his agitation, and gulps down a glass of water when he gets to the kitchen.

It’s still dark out, a few smattering of stars just peeking out behind the winter clouds that adorn the night sky.

He almost wants to step out to the small balcony and light up, but he knows it’s colder outside than it looks. For a second he thinks about waking up Steve, but he’s been working himself to the bone lately, so that’s a no go.

He settles for watching the TV at its lowest setting, criss-cross on the floor in front of it. There’s a bunch of cartoon reruns and he gets lost in it for a while, eyes glazed over as The Hardy Boys solve mystery after mystery. Soft huffs of laughter every time Wile E. Coyote fails to catch the roadrunner, usually getting blown up in the process. He wonders how that guy never gives up.

Probably the same way Eddie doesn’t.

Sighing, he gets to his feet and stations himself in front of the window. The sky’s a little brighter now, but not yet filled with pinks or oranges.

It’s kind of nice. Being awake and alone with the sky when most people are still asleep. It feels like a secret. Just something between him and the slowly rising sun.

It’s almost peaceful, the wild energy that’s been thrumming throughout his entire body finally spent. His warm puffs of breath slow against the window, the condensation starting to drip.

Time stops existing. It could be one or twenty sunrises that he’s witnessing, he really can’t tell. Doesn’t know how long it takes for the sky to open up and shine on the thick layer of snow coating the world beyond his little window.

Trees that lost their leaves months ago are frosted, long jagged branches now home to hundreds and hundreds of delicate flakes. Eddie kind of wants to yank on a branch until the snow falls from it, but he’s reluctant to disturb the smooth layer of white with his bootprints. He has the day off too, so he wasn’t really planning on stepping foot out of the apartment.

Instead, he picks his eyes back up to the sky, now draped in bright colors. He wonders what it’s like to be up there. Wonders if it’s any better than being down here.

He jumps a little when warm arms wrap around him from behind, the blanket that Steve’s brought with him brushing against the back of Eddie’s neck. It smells like Steve, like them. Eddie closes his eyes as he leans back into Steve’s chest, smiling softly when he rests his chin on Eddie’s shoulder.

“Missed you.” Steve’s voice is low and gravely, laced with sleep.

“Did I wake you?”

He shrugs, “don’t like sleeping without you. Could feel you were gone.”

He places his hands on the arms circling his stomach, “sorry, Stevie.”

Steve hums softly and settles more comfortably along Eddie’s back. His breaths start to get deeper and Eddie’s starting to think he’s fallen back asleep when a question is quietly muttered into his ear. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just- can’t stay asleep. You know how it is.”

And Steve does. He’s had plenty of nights just like this of his own. Nights that turned into days without getting a wink of sleep. Early mornings where all he could do was brew some coffee to get him through the rest of the day.

Sometimes, a lot of the time, there’s nothing to be done.

This isn’t the first sunrise Eddie’s watched and it definitely won’t be the last.

“C’mon,” Steve murmurs, unraveling from around Eddie and gripping at his wrist.

Eddie lets himself be tugged along to the living room, some Christmas movie now playing on the TV. Steve lays down on the couch, scooting as far back against the worn cushions as he can. Then he lifts the blanket up and waits for Eddie to crawl into the space in front of him, Eddie’s back to his front.

He doesn’t realize how cold he is until he’s enveloped in their comforter and its warmth. Until he’s got Steve’s arm under his neck like a pillow and their legs are tangled together.

Eddie closes his eyes again, sleep coming easier this time. Just before he drops off, he asks, “Stevie?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you think it’s like up in the sky?”

Steve hums inquisitively, mulling over his answer. Eventually, he replies with a simple, “probably lonely,” and he tightens his hold on Eddie, like he knows Eddie was thinking about heading up there.

And maybe he was, if only to see the sunrise from a different angle, but he’d much rather be right here.

He’d always rather be right here.

Eddie turns in Steve’s arms and tucks his head under his chin, falling asleep between one breath and another.

was bonding with my cousin about how dumb it was that they killed eddie and when she started talking about how cute eddie and chrissy would’ve been i had to keep a straight face and pretend i haven’t written over 90k worth of steddie this year

full pic on twitter

pls don't tag it as ns/fw on tumblr, it might make my account flagged!

what is brother waffling about

earth bending steve.. what do we think 🫣