Oh, cool. Then I'm metal probably once a year while all those little nimrods are sticking their noses into the crazy hell dimension. NO sense of self preservation on those guys, I swear to god. Get used to that.
Look it's two VHS tapes worth of movie. Romance. War. All that stuff. The less she thinks I retain, the better.
all me and my friends cared about in middle school was lisa frank stickers and who could do the best backward walkover. it wasn't until the end of middle school that people started caring about boys and make up and social status and how ~cool~ they were
[Or she was just in a fairly insular group that didn't pay attention to that stuff until it became unavoidable.]
I'd like to see YOUR dignity add up to much with nobody respecting it!
And you know what, good for you guys. Seriously. The longer a kid puts that bullshit off, the better. I was putting in groundwork early like a total loser. All that adds up to is years of Lisa Frank opportunities that you don't get back.
[No one has respected her dignity a day in her life, but that's never stopped her.]
once the lisa frank opportunities are gone, they're gone. meanwhile you spent all that time trying to be cool and all you're left with is great hair and a bunch of middle schoolers trailing after you
I was successfully cool. And I was a huge asshole who gave up all his eye burning sticker opportunities so that he could stay cool.
But I dunno, I guess it worked out. Who even knows if I'd have you to ask to distract someone for me while I went to a bakery if anything was different? Can't risk losing that, duh.
Already busy moonlighting as Robin's schmuck, thanks. The lack of face paint is easier on my complexion.
[ can't wait for family video to be destroyed and the circus to become the only option, wow. ]
Look I can come up with more stuff to appreciate but I can't do it on short notice. Know that this is genuine. I ABSOLUTELY did not wanna deal with that run-in and you saved my ass. A man only has so much energy to put into his stealth!
I am so beyond having an opinion on that. But I mean yeah.
[ He's never wanted to wingman so bad in his fucking life. And for what!!
Why are his and Robin's souls shaped to click together a lego brick onto the weird green foundation square things lego bricks go on, but there is only so much he can do to help her land another lego brick to build something beautiful with? This is a crime. ]
If you'd seen any essay I've ever written you wouldn't be asking for one. Do doodles of expressive hand gestures count?
Tough love. That qualifies. And you know what, it's fair.
Anyway everyone is a little pervy. Human nature! The difference that matters is, are they a creep? And the answer is no because I don't hook up with creeps. It was just. Weird.
Has there been someone perving on you? Creeping? I can have a word, no problem.
Yeah okay dip YOUR toes into the Top 40 and maybe we'll talk, metalhead. Anyone who's not Robin has to do a fair trade if they're giving me homework.
Then you know a ton of creepy bullshit and you still have to rewind all the tapes that people didn't rewind after watching their rental. Or go to history class or whatever.
look i can get behind the concept of an equivalent exchange, but that's not what you're suggesting. i lay a feast before you, an auditory experience, and in return you're asking me to dine on pure grease and sugar? i'm not surprised that Buckley wouldn't put up with that shit
oh, yeah. minimum wage really takes the sting out of recurring nightmares
I don't know man, soup? Pickles? Nothing? You're grossly overestimating the food that I bring into my house. Or is this like I mean do you want me to make you a grilled cheese sometime?
[Wait. WAIT. It's actually happening. He's being invited into the Harrington household, and he wasn't even angling for it. Holy shit. It's hard to stay cool about this when Eddie's been pining for long enough now that it's addled his brain.]
i dont know, you dont think thats moving too fast?
[ Time for a trademark Mental Math Pauseā¢ļø. Man, this is so much easier in person. Reading? Sucks. No accounting for tone. When in doubt, it's probably Eddie being a smartass. ]
I'm the one who asked, so I hope I don't think that. It's a sandwich, not joint custody of a hamster.
[ All these good looks and not a brain cell between them.
Steve is definitely flirting. The fact that it includes bickering is new but he doesn't know how to flirt on accident. It is totally the only reason why he sounds like a big loser. ]
The techie's different. He has custody of us too. Ok cool. Call that dinner plans. When are you not busy with nerd shit?
In any case, Eddie is now 90% sure this is flirting, because who the hell says dinner plans unless they are Steve Harrington on a date. He's freaking out!!!!]
fair enough. i'll wear my good jeans. and i dunno, when are you not busy looking at yourself in the mirror?
[ Eddie is sadly not the first stop on Steve's list of post- "That Whole Fucking Situation That Happened" stops to make, seeing as it turned out that just about everything went wrong all at once and a ton of the team is out of commission, and basically just. Well, that whole fucking situation that happened.
Everyone's a mess.
Worse than the mess everyone normally is after this kind of stuff. Which is-- yeah. Well. He's got all night to sit up driving himself crazy with ways they could've planned shit out better or to reflect on how maybe it's not cool to pursue his ex-girlfriend who is actively in a relationship and wants different things in life or whatever. If he lets it get to him all day, too, he'll never get anything done. So he does visiting rounds and volunteer work and helping make sure everyone's got their stories straight, and he goes ahead and lets Dustin carry the bulk of that info to Eddie personally when it first comes up, because Dustin's been up a wall about it-- and who can blame him for being up a wall about it?
Let Munson grapple with the tears he earned. It's catharsis or something.
And then, about as fast as possible once the very important legal-ramifications-related issues are sorted out, probably after accidentally missing the end of visiting hours a couple of times, Steve gets in to visit Eddie himself.
Max and Lucas are winning on the looking really bad chart by a landslide. They're actual kids, of course they're top of the list. Eddie's sitting at a comfortable third, though, he'd have to wager. ]
Did I or did I not say don't be a hero, dipshit?
[ This is what true worry and companionship looks like. Being part of the dipshit squad.
Steve drops into a chair like a cool person turned uptight person still pretending to be cool might drop into a chair. ]
Like, specifically! I've been out there wracking my brain this whole time and I still can't figure out where I lost you.
[If Eddie had spent more time actually awake in this room, maybe he'd have the awareness needed to tease Steve about those missed visiting hours. Really give him some shit, get a much needed laugh out of the way he squirms.
As things stand, though, Eddie's still feeling raw and flayed open- emotionally and also bat bite wise- and he's barely been conscious and functioning long enough to comfort an understandably emotional Dustin and attempt to take in half of what he's saying. There are a couple of very serious 'we need to talk son' cop v Munson exchanges that his uncle is fiercely present for, and the promise of more to come. Then, there's an intense, quiet conversation where Eddie brings up the money they don't have for this hospital visit, and uncle Wayne brings up how fucking stupid he is to be worrying about that when he's lucky to be alive. It's all a lot.
So yeah, the thought doesn't even occur to him until Steve is already at his bedside. And then it dies fucking immediately, because the guy looks wiped. About as wiped as Eddie feels.
He laughs, only it's more of a dry wheeze, and offers Steve a wry little grin.]
Right. Sorry to hog all the glory, man. That's what this is about, yeah? Because now I look so much cooler than you.
[Eddie fumbles for the glass of water at his bedside table, but it sort of pulls at the IV in his arm, and he gives up with a wince.]
[ Hmm. Present and-- to the degree that Steve is familiar with him-- not in the worst spirits. The dude is probably as mentally fucked up for life as the rest of them, no undoing that, and there's no way he's having a good time with recovery, but he is also alive, so.
That's everyone officially accounted for.
It's a relief to be done getting all the visual proof of that for himself. Settles some edged-up nerve that's been pulling since this whole mess started. This specific mess. Not the whole whole mess. Hopefully there'll be some time before the next mess to just lock it down for a while. A guy can dream, can't he? ]
Yeah, dude, I've never been more jealous in my life. You saw right through me.
[ Women want him. Bats fear him. The whole shebang.
Steve leans over and grabs the water himself, holding it in a closer, not-so-shitty-to-reach-for range. ]
You good? I can go get a straw or something.
[ Do straws help? He just feels like sometimes a straw helps. He's no doctor. ]
[Nurse, babysitter, monster slayer. Is there anything Steve can't do?]
I mean, that'd- [Eddie stops, shakes his head, and instead just gives Steve a grateful smile.] Just hurts to bend my god damn elbow. Had an itchy nose for like two days. I mean, I think it's been two days, everything's kinda- rrrrrrrr.
[He makes a hand gesture that radiates Severe Confusion energy, and then starts the slow, grimace filled journey of cup to mouth.]
Anyway, forget about it. Sit still for two seconds, catch your breath. No one's actively dying.
[Steve is so much better of a person than Eddie had him figured, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to leap. No, the real kicker is that Steve has turned out to be a better, braver person than almost anyone else Eddie has met. Very annoying and begrudgingly admirable.
But, more to the point, it's been kind of a relief to know that even while he's bed bound, too tired to even freak out properly, Dustin and the rest of those pipsqueaks have someone in the know keeping an eye on them. Eddie doesn't even have to ask, because he's abso-fucking-lutely positive that's why Steve looks wrecked. And now, here he is, checking in on Eddie, who he hardly knows past some friendly ribbing and a solid dose of trauma bonding.
Yeah. Good guy. Good guy who definitely needs a nap, in Eddie's wise and correct opinion. He nods at the largely untouched tray food at the foot of his bed.]
Want some pudding? I can't eat that shit, tastes like slime.
Two-ish. Closer to three. [ Give or take. Days only super matter when the Family Video opens back up and he needs to consider his schedule. The relatability of Severe Confusion energy is what really matters right now.
He'll bring a straw next time, though, maybe. At a certain point it's like, he's already gonna bring Max a crazy straw and she's gonna roll her eyes about it. Hopefully. She can have a free pass on dunking on him this one time if it gives her something new to think about. So he might as well grab another one.
Let the other little shits complain.
The offer catches Steve off guard enough to net a huff of laughter that, he's proud to say, is more laugh than wheeze after some time not being strangled by stuff. Nature is healing. ]
[He gives Steve a decidedly manic little grin, and wiggles his fingers like a street magician about to disappear a rabbit. Eddie doesn't know when his energy is gonna totally vanish again (soon, probably) so it's really important to be as much of a weird menace as possible while he still can.
At least, he thinks that was his goal. It sort of goes a bit foggy when Steve laughs. Eddie's smile goes a little less manic and a little more soft around the edges. Eugh. God.]
I'm not judgemental, Harrington. Maybe you're a big fan of hospital pudding. Don't gotta put on a front, geez.
[ Being a menace even from his hospital bed. The unmitigated gall of it all. Very "known to hang around Drama department" of him.
Steve's kinda getting used to that rhythm. He thinks. What's one more weirdo on the roster? The dude's probably getting stir-crazy anyway. Between passing out. Lots of emotionally heavy company and lame food. So hey, Eddie needs to vent some wanna-feel-kinda-normal dipshittery, Steve should get a feel for that whole energy because his friend circle is basically just whoever's in the secret Upside Down club and there's kind of no takebacks once you join. Win-win.
It'll be nice to see more of a person his age who seems pretty cool that he hasn't been in love with or gotten a huge crush on, honks local clown. ]
Yeah, I'm gonna pass. They probably mix a bunch of vitamins and stuff in there anyway. If you wanna shirk all that nutritional value [ he does not for a second believe there is nutritional value, or maybe just doesn't care if there is ], I'm not covering your tracks.
[ He does like a little back-and-forth Dad Point Gestureā¢ļø for emphasis. ]
[Steve doesn't sit there and look at him, mouth grim and eyes heavy with worry. He doesn't ask questions Eddie can't answer, or add any weight to his shoulders that he has no room for. There's no pressure to talk about any of it, if he doesn't want to. This could just be straws and pudding and what class he thinks Steve would choose in a universe where Eddie convinced him to try DnD.
It's nice to know. Eddie wants to pretend it's what he needs, at least for another two minutes, so he swallows down the sudden tightness in his throat. At least if his voice is hoarse, it'll just seem like he needs more water. His head flops back against his pillow, and he screws his nose up like Steve's pointing is personally offensive to him.]
Are you saying you're gonna rat me out? Or is this- [Eddie imitates the pointing gesture, and isn't all that kind about it-] meant to convince me to eat it?
He's gonna bring him the dumbest-looking of the straws just for that. Gravely injured whomst? ]
Neither! I'm saying- [ Steve imitates the imitation of his own dumb pointing gesture. To what end? ] I'm not gonna be complicit. Let one of those little snots take it.
[Eddie eyes off the imitation of an imitation, and his resulting grin is genuine.]
Alright, well, you just look kinda stupid, now.
[He sticks his tongue out at Steve from his position slumped back into the pillows. Then Eddie narrows his eyes, debating with himself, and makes a weird little 'hmmmmm' noise.]
Don't want you to get a big head or anything. But it's pretty decent of you to visit when I'm willing to bet you've got your hands full corralling a half dozen gremlins. So. Thanks.
[ Immature. Blocked. At least he gave this moron (affectionate)'s day a little improvement. That's like half the point of even visiting.
If making himself look stupid was a sport, Steve would be major league by now anyway.
What is this feeling. The feeling of validation. Christ, but Eddie is too nice to be stuck with all the deadly super creepy bullshit. But hey, what does he know. None of them deserve to be stuck dealing with all that, honestly. Even him. Deserving better has basically nothing to do with anything. ]
Their parents do the corralling. I'm just the chauffeur. [ More or less. More more than less.
Steve relaxes into his visitor chair as much as people can relax into visitor chairs. ] Why are you even thanking me anyway? You're with us. That automatically ruins your chances of a moment's peace and puts you on my rounds. Obviously.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tfln carryover
Date: 2022-06-27 03:29 am (UTC)satanicpanics
Date: 2022-06-28 07:47 am (UTC)Look it's two VHS tapes worth of movie. Romance. War. All that stuff. The less she thinks I retain, the better.
eggplanting
Date: 2022-06-28 08:47 am (UTC)And middle graders TOTALLY care about bullshit. That's when the hierarchy starts! What school did you even go to?
[ steve ur experiences are not universal. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-28 11:16 am (UTC)all me and my friends cared about in middle school was lisa frank stickers and who could do the best backward walkover. it wasn't until the end of middle school that people started caring about boys and make up and social status and how ~cool~ they were
[Or she was just in a fairly insular group that didn't pay attention to that stuff until it became unavoidable.]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-03 10:25 am (UTC)And you know what, good for you guys. Seriously. The longer a kid puts that bullshit off, the better. I was putting in groundwork early like a total loser. All that adds up to is years of Lisa Frank opportunities that you don't get back.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-03 12:05 pm (UTC)[No one has respected her dignity a day in her life, but that's never stopped her.]
once the lisa frank opportunities are gone, they're gone. meanwhile you spent all that time trying to be cool and all you're left with is great hair and a bunch of middle schoolers trailing after you
no subject
Date: 2022-07-03 09:07 pm (UTC)I was successfully cool. And I was a huge asshole who gave up all his eye burning sticker opportunities so that he could stay cool.
But I dunno, I guess it worked out. Who even knows if I'd have you to ask to distract someone for me while I went to a bakery if anything was different? Can't risk losing that, duh.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-03 09:46 pm (UTC)[jks he already is a cute clown]
we've all been assholes at one point or another. i wouldnt have given up eye searing stickers for it, but you do you
aww š„ŗ its so nice to be appreciated for my ability to annoy someone into not realizing a past hook up is nearby
no subject
Date: 2022-07-05 03:23 pm (UTC)[ can't wait for family video to be destroyed and the circus to become the only option, wow. ]
Look I can come up with more stuff to appreciate but I can't do it on short notice. Know that this is genuine. I ABSOLUTELY did not wanna deal with that run-in and you saved my ass. A man only has so much energy to put into his stealth!
no subject
Date: 2022-07-10 01:39 am (UTC)[Is she just asking that to terrorize Steve? Maybe so.]
i'll expect a two page essay on why im so great by the end of the week. is that enough notice?
and you just gotta practice a bunch and stealth becomes second nature. it doesnt take any effort once youre used to it
no subject
Date: 2022-07-12 09:54 am (UTC)[ He's never wanted to wingman so bad in his fucking life. And for what!!
Why are his and Robin's souls shaped to click together a lego brick onto the weird green foundation square things lego bricks go on, but there is only so much he can do to help her land another lego brick to build something beautiful with? This is a crime. ]
If you'd seen any essay I've ever written you wouldn't be asking for one. Do doodles of expressive hand gestures count?
no subject
Date: 2022-07-14 01:11 am (UTC)[Called out.]
ill be real with you, doodles of expressive hand gestures are even better than a dumb essay. ill take the doodles any day
no subject
Date: 2022-07-19 01:12 am (UTC)So we'll just see about the story these doodles really tell in the end, Brown.
[ Valiantly already forgetting what the purpose of the essay turned doodles was, but on purpose in order to be cranky. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-19 02:38 am (UTC)thats the story your doodles should tell
no subject
Date: 2022-07-25 08:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-07-26 04:28 am (UTC)maybe you'd even win eventually ā¤ļøš
rejectpile
Date: 2022-06-28 09:34 am (UTC)Anyway everyone is a little pervy. Human nature! The difference that matters is, are they a creep? And the answer is no because I don't hook up with creeps. It was just. Weird.
Has there been someone perving on you? Creeping? I can have a word, no problem.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-23 09:34 pm (UTC)You're sweet, but I can handle myself.
chasingthefeeling
Date: 2022-06-28 09:40 am (UTC)But if I did I would consider taking that advice. No one wants to enhance how bad stuff sucks. It goes against the whole point.
no subject
Date: 2022-06-28 10:34 am (UTC)bardsofprey
Date: 2022-07-05 03:57 pm (UTC)Then you know a ton of creepy bullshit and you still have to rewind all the tapes that people didn't rewind after watching their rental. Or go to history class or whatever.
Man. At least I'm getting paid.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-13 04:39 am (UTC)oh, yeah. minimum wage really takes the sting out of recurring nightmares
no subject
Date: 2022-07-13 09:54 am (UTC)Minimum wage may not take the sting out of nightmares, but you know what's nice? Making a grilled cheese at 3 in the morning.
[ With your nail bat leaning against the counter, just in case. Mental health expert Steve Harrington. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-18 02:25 pm (UTC)man if someone asked me what i thought Steve Harrington spent his hard earned pay on i would not have said kraft singles
no subject
Date: 2022-07-18 03:35 pm (UTC)[ When ur best friend is like 12 so u argue like that. Also, requisite pause for Steve Harrington squinting at math dot png. ]
Dude.
Everyone likes kraft singles.
no subject
Date: 2022-08-30 11:40 pm (UTC)preeeetty evil, steven
alright yeah fair enough that ones on me
what do u serve them with? caviar?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-01 12:07 am (UTC)I don't know man, soup? Pickles? Nothing? You're grossly overestimating the food that I bring into my house.
Or is this like
I mean do you want me to make you a grilled cheese sometime?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-06 02:15 pm (UTC)[Wait. WAIT. It's actually happening. He's being invited into the Harrington household, and he wasn't even angling for it. Holy shit. It's hard to stay cool about this when Eddie's been pining for long enough now that it's addled his brain.]
i dont know, you dont think thats moving too fast?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-06 11:06 pm (UTC)[ Time for a trademark Mental Math Pauseā¢ļø. Man, this is so much easier in person. Reading? Sucks. No accounting for tone. When in doubt, it's probably Eddie being a smartass. ]
I'm the one who asked, so I hope I don't think that. It's a sandwich, not joint custody of a hamster.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-14 01:32 pm (UTC)[Was that flirting? Is this flirting? Have they been flirting?]
bad example. we already have joint custody of a techie.
but uh yeah count me in. wine and dine me harrington
no subject
Date: 2022-09-26 10:59 pm (UTC)Steve is definitely flirting. The fact that it includes bickering is new but he doesn't know how to flirt on accident. It is totally the only reason why he sounds like a big loser. ]
The techie's different. He has custody of us too.
Ok cool. Call that dinner plans. When are you not busy with nerd shit?
no subject
Date: 2022-10-15 10:55 am (UTC)In any case, Eddie is now 90% sure this is flirting, because who the hell says dinner plans unless they are Steve Harrington on a date. He's freaking out!!!!]
fair enough.
i'll wear my good jeans. and i dunno, when are you not busy looking at yourself in the mirror?
i'm free tomorrow. for the record
no subject
Date: 2022-10-16 08:00 pm (UTC)But just for being a smartass I'm not moving the full length mirror out of your chair for you. Kick mirror Steve out yourself, loser.
s4 spoilers, in a sense, 4 cool kids (bardsofprey)
Date: 2022-07-03 02:03 pm (UTC)Everyone's a mess.
Worse than the mess everyone normally is after this kind of stuff. Which is-- yeah. Well. He's got all night to sit up driving himself crazy with ways they could've planned shit out better or to reflect on how maybe it's not cool to pursue his ex-girlfriend who is actively in a relationship and wants different things in life or whatever. If he lets it get to him all day, too, he'll never get anything done. So he does visiting rounds and volunteer work and helping make sure everyone's got their stories straight, and he goes ahead and lets Dustin carry the bulk of that info to Eddie personally when it first comes up, because Dustin's been up a wall about it-- and who can blame him for being up a wall about it?
Let Munson grapple with the tears he earned. It's catharsis or something.
And then, about as fast as possible once the very important legal-ramifications-related issues are sorted out, probably after accidentally missing the end of visiting hours a couple of times, Steve gets in to visit Eddie himself.
Max and Lucas are winning on the looking really bad chart by a landslide. They're actual kids, of course they're top of the list. Eddie's sitting at a comfortable third, though, he'd have to wager. ]
Did I or did I not say don't be a hero, dipshit?
[ This is what true worry and companionship looks like. Being part of the dipshit squad.
Steve drops into a chair like a cool person turned uptight person still pretending to be cool might drop into a chair. ]
Like, specifically! I've been out there wracking my brain this whole time and I still can't figure out where I lost you.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-05 12:26 pm (UTC)As things stand, though, Eddie's still feeling raw and flayed open- emotionally and also bat bite wise- and he's barely been conscious and functioning long enough to comfort an understandably emotional Dustin and attempt to take in half of what he's saying. There are a couple of very serious 'we need to talk son' cop v Munson exchanges that his uncle is fiercely present for, and the promise of more to come. Then, there's an intense, quiet conversation where Eddie brings up the money they don't have for this hospital visit, and uncle Wayne brings up how fucking stupid he is to be worrying about that when he's lucky to be alive. It's all a lot.
So yeah, the thought doesn't even occur to him until Steve is already at his bedside. And then it dies fucking immediately, because the guy looks wiped. About as wiped as Eddie feels.
He laughs, only it's more of a dry wheeze, and offers Steve a wry little grin.]
Right. Sorry to hog all the glory, man. That's what this is about, yeah? Because now I look so much cooler than you.
[Eddie fumbles for the glass of water at his bedside table, but it sort of pulls at the IV in his arm, and he gives up with a wince.]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-06 12:17 am (UTC)That's everyone officially accounted for.
It's a relief to be done getting all the visual proof of that for himself. Settles some edged-up nerve that's been pulling since this whole mess started. This specific mess. Not the whole whole mess. Hopefully there'll be some time before the next mess to just lock it down for a while. A guy can dream, can't he? ]
Yeah, dude, I've never been more jealous in my life. You saw right through me.
[ Women want him. Bats fear him. The whole shebang.
Steve leans over and grabs the water himself, holding it in a closer, not-so-shitty-to-reach-for range. ]
You good? I can go get a straw or something.
[ Do straws help? He just feels like sometimes a straw helps. He's no doctor. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-07-13 04:46 am (UTC)[Nurse, babysitter, monster slayer. Is there anything Steve can't do?]
I mean, that'd- [Eddie stops, shakes his head, and instead just gives Steve a grateful smile.] Just hurts to bend my god damn elbow. Had an itchy nose for like two days. I mean, I think it's been two days, everything's kinda- rrrrrrrr.
[He makes a hand gesture that radiates Severe Confusion energy, and then starts the slow, grimace filled journey of cup to mouth.]
Anyway, forget about it. Sit still for two seconds, catch your breath. No one's actively dying.
[Steve is so much better of a person than Eddie had him figured, but that wasn't exactly a high bar to leap. No, the real kicker is that Steve has turned out to be a better, braver person than almost anyone else Eddie has met. Very annoying and begrudgingly admirable.
But, more to the point, it's been kind of a relief to know that even while he's bed bound, too tired to even freak out properly, Dustin and the rest of those pipsqueaks have someone in the know keeping an eye on them. Eddie doesn't even have to ask, because he's abso-fucking-lutely positive that's why Steve looks wrecked. And now, here he is, checking in on Eddie, who he hardly knows past some friendly ribbing and a solid dose of trauma bonding.
Yeah. Good guy. Good guy who definitely needs a nap, in Eddie's wise and correct opinion. He nods at the largely untouched tray food at the foot of his bed.]
Want some pudding? I can't eat that shit, tastes like slime.
no subject
Date: 2022-07-13 10:39 am (UTC)He'll bring a straw next time, though, maybe. At a certain point it's like, he's already gonna bring Max a crazy straw and she's gonna roll her eyes about it. Hopefully. She can have a free pass on dunking on him this one time if it gives her something new to think about. So he might as well grab another one.
Let the other little shits complain.
The offer catches Steve off guard enough to net a huff of laughter that, he's proud to say, is more laugh than wheeze after some time not being strangled by stuff. Nature is healing. ]
That's your sales pitch? Seriously?
no subject
Date: 2022-08-31 04:18 pm (UTC)[He gives Steve a decidedly manic little grin, and wiggles his fingers like a street magician about to disappear a rabbit. Eddie doesn't know when his energy is gonna totally vanish again (soon, probably) so it's really important to be as much of a weird menace as possible while he still can.
At least, he thinks that was his goal. It sort of goes a bit foggy when Steve laughs. Eddie's smile goes a little less manic and a little more soft around the edges. Eugh. God.]
I'm not judgemental, Harrington. Maybe you're a big fan of hospital pudding. Don't gotta put on a front, geez.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-02 12:39 am (UTC)Steve's kinda getting used to that rhythm. He thinks. What's one more weirdo on the roster? The dude's probably getting stir-crazy anyway. Between passing out. Lots of emotionally heavy company and lame food. So hey, Eddie needs to vent some wanna-feel-kinda-normal dipshittery, Steve should get a feel for that whole energy because his friend circle is basically just whoever's in the secret Upside Down club and there's kind of no takebacks once you join. Win-win.
It'll be nice to see more of a person his age who seems pretty cool that he hasn't been in love with or gotten a huge crush on, honks local clown. ]
Yeah, I'm gonna pass. They probably mix a bunch of vitamins and stuff in there anyway. If you wanna shirk all that nutritional value [ he does not for a second believe there is nutritional value, or maybe just doesn't care if there is ], I'm not covering your tracks.
[ He does like a little back-and-forth Dad Point Gestureā¢ļø for emphasis. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-26 01:49 pm (UTC)It's nice to know. Eddie wants to pretend it's what he needs, at least for another two minutes, so he swallows down the sudden tightness in his throat. At least if his voice is hoarse, it'll just seem like he needs more water. His head flops back against his pillow, and he screws his nose up like Steve's pointing is personally offensive to him.]
Are you saying you're gonna rat me out? Or is this- [Eddie imitates the pointing gesture, and isn't all that kind about it-] meant to convince me to eat it?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-27 04:50 am (UTC)He's gonna bring him the dumbest-looking of the straws just for that. Gravely injured whomst? ]
Neither! I'm saying- [ Steve imitates the imitation of his own dumb pointing gesture. To what end? ] I'm not gonna be complicit. Let one of those little snots take it.
no subject
Date: 2022-10-20 01:06 pm (UTC)Alright, well, you just look kinda stupid, now.
[He sticks his tongue out at Steve from his position slumped back into the pillows. Then Eddie narrows his eyes, debating with himself, and makes a weird little 'hmmmmm' noise.]
Don't want you to get a big head or anything. But it's pretty decent of you to visit when I'm willing to bet you've got your hands full corralling a half dozen gremlins. So. Thanks.
[ : ) ]
no subject
Date: 2022-10-31 08:11 am (UTC)If making himself look stupid was a sport, Steve would be major league by now anyway.
What is this feeling. The feeling of validation. Christ, but Eddie is too nice to be stuck with all the deadly super creepy bullshit. But hey, what does he know. None of them deserve to be stuck dealing with all that, honestly. Even him. Deserving better has basically nothing to do with anything. ]
Their parents do the corralling. I'm just the chauffeur. [ More or less. More more than less.
Steve relaxes into his visitor chair as much as people can relax into visitor chairs. ] Why are you even thanking me anyway? You're with us. That automatically ruins your chances of a moment's peace and puts you on my rounds. Obviously.
[ The math is all there, of course. ]