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goggles-mcgee · 2 years

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Steve has active nightmares, like I mean he will be moving, he will be screaming, but the one that happens most these days is he doesn't breath when he dreams of the demobats attacking him, or the vines.

When it gets to the part of the dream where they are choking him his body just.....doesn't breathe, it fights for breath like he is actually being choked and he has woken up way to many times coughing and trying to get catch his breath but ends up always hyperventilating till he can recognize he's not dreaming anymore. This boy is crying, drooling, sounding like he was actually being choked to death and most times he scratches at his neck.

Of course he doesn't tell The Party, they're just nightmares. The kids deal with enough and Robin, Nancy, Jonathan and Eddie are graduating and making plans and he doesn't want to be a burden.

This bit is inspired by @nightshiftz where Steve makes sure he doesn't fall asleep anywhere but at home.

If The Party spends the night, he makes himself stay awake all night just in case. He's been having nightmares frequently, almost every night, he hides the signs as best he can. Makeup under his eyes and some of his mother's expensive eye bag treatment cream that she forgot she had and never takes with her anymore. If it's a scratches night he makes sure to but bandages on and put on a turtleneck. If it's hot out he still wears a turtleneck, just one he cut the sleeves off of. He makes the excuse that his scar was itching that day and the turtleneck helps him not itch at it as much.

Everyone believes him except Robin and Eddie but both don't know how to go about bringing it up or exactly what they are bringing up. They just notice the turtleneck is odd and when he wears it Steve is stiff and not himself. Like he's doing everything he can to take attention off himself, but Steve is smooth, Steve is smart at reading people and how best to distract their attention.

Then Eddie notices that Steve never actually sleeps whenever The Party sleeps over or even when it's a smaller group like Eddie, Robin, Nancy and Jonathan. Or even just Robin, Eddie and Steve. Eddie notices because he woke up during one of these sleepovers, it was one with the whole Party, Steve had opened up his home for a small movie night and Eddie had had his own nightmare.

Eddie, contrary to popular belief is a quiet dreamer, even with nightmares. Sure his breathing may get heavier, but he's pretty quiet up until the point of waking where he chokes on a cut off scream or if he does scream it's the once. Noisy nightmares, or even just noisy dreams used to be one of the many things his dad disliked from him.

It was one of those nights that he woke before the scream could leave. He was grateful he didn't wake up anyone and decided he needed a glass of water. He tended to hold himself so tense when having a nightmare, even to the point where he tensed his throat so he always awoke parched. He does his best not to make too much noise as he gets his glass of water but that's when he noticed the light on outside in the backyard.

Eddie is innately curious so of course he had to go see what it was. He thought perhaps that Steve just forgot to turn it off but he racked his brain trying to remember if the boy even turned it on in the first place. Then he noticed the sliding glass door slid slightly open, and of course he had to peak outside, he even armed himself with a kitchen knife. That's when he saw Steve, Steve who looked, frankly, awful. He had dark bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess but no less charming (no less infuriating either that it still seemed to stay charming) and he looked pale from what Eddie could see in the moonlight and back porch light.

Eddie had wanted to go outside, see what was wrong, but something stopped him. So he just stood there and watched. Thoughts came and went, as did hopes that Steve just went out for some air and would be back in soon and Eddie could apologize for being a creep and watching him. It never happened.

30 minutes passed.

2 hours.

It was at the 5 hour mark of just watching Steve sit there on a pool chair where the sun was coming off that Eddie noticed that Steve had his nailbat at his side. Gripped in one hand, but down by his side like he was giving off the image of being defenseless, of being vulnerable and just waiting for whatever creeper at night to try him. To try and get inside.

It worried Eddie beyond belief, but when Steve finally stood up to come in Eddie had made his way as fast as he could back to his spot on the couch to pretend to be asleep. Again, he didn't know why he did this, just that he did. He could hear Steve walk into the living room, knew well that he was making sure everyone was okay, could feel his eyes on him for a good minute before he heard him go upstairs.

Eddie didn't know what to do. He couldn't bring it up, then he would have to explain why he just watched, why he pretended to be asleep. So he promises to see if this is a one off thing, if it is then Steve probably worked through whatever made him watch over them all that night, if not....if not then he didn't know but he would plan.

It was then he noticed that Steve never stayed the night anywhere whenever the group got together somewhere else. Even when it was offered he never did. Next sleepover at the Harrington Residence had Eddie staying awake, waiting until he heard the footsteps. Till he heard the back door slide open.

It wasn't a one off thing.

Eddie watched again. Pretended he was asleep again. Then it was like he couldn't help himself from noticing the makeup under the eyes, the exhausted way Steve held himself when he thought no one was looking, the way he stared at any surface that you could sleep on with such want that Eddie wanted to cry.

Then he made it his mission to get the boy to sleep. Maybe it was trickery that he invited Steve to his and Wayne's government funded trailer. Maybe it was trickery that he was confused that Robin canceled because she had some family thing she forgot (he never asked her but he would be sure to fill her in if his plan succeeded. And maybe it was trickery that he listened to old wives tales and did his best following recipes to make lettuce soup and this weird warm milk mixture of honey and chamomile.

It's absolute trickery when he tells Steve that Wayne was trying out new recipes and asked Eddie to tell him how he liked them and if Steve would help him out. After all two minds were better than one and they could give Wayne tips. Steve is so sleep deprived that he believed the half-baked excuse and well he hadn't eaten dinner....or lunch so why not.

Eddie could see the warm food doing it's job, so he stepped it up, he made sure the temperature was slightly cool since he read people sleep better if they are somewhat cool. And, "Hey Steve wanna hear the new song I've been working on? Just really quick and then we can pick a movie."

Of course Steve agreed, because Steve is kind and great. So Eddie played a soft melody, hummed until Steve just dropped asleep there on the couch. Eddie felt like he had won the biggest prize, he got a blanket out to cover Steve, helped set him in a comfortable position and popped in a movie. He would watch over Steve for how ever long it took for him to sleep.

He gets through the first movie, pops in a second and it's near the end of the second that he notices Steve tossing and turning on the small couch. Then he notices the breathing, but before he could actually begin to debate whether he should wake Steve up or not Steve tossed himself right off the couch.

Eddie thought that was it. Steve would wake up, but he didn't. Eddie watched horrified as he noticed Steve wasn't breathing. STEVE WASN'T BREATHING!?

He freaked out. Of course he did. It was when he got closer, dropped to his knees to wake Steve up that Steve reached to his neck and scratched. Eddie panicked and grabbed Steve's hands because Steve drew blood. He drew blood! Eddie was crying as he begged Steve to wake up and Steve did but he's still half asleep when he does so he goes through his routine of gasping, crying, hyperventilating but he hears Eddie, feels him.

Eddie was freaking out but he noticed Steve wasn't fully awake, was panicking and quickly pulled Steve's back to his chest. His legs bracketed on either side of the boy, his arms wrapped around him. He started directing Steve, telling him to match his breathing. He whispered sweet nothings. He did all he could.

When Steve finally was aware he realized he was still at Eddie's. Fell asleep at Eddie's. Had a nightmare at Eddie's and it's like he couldn't hold it in anymore. He just sobbed. It was heartbreaking and Eddie just held him through it all. Then when Steve got his bearings he thanked Eddie and tried to leave but Eddie didn't allow that.

They argued a bit but Eddie won out and gently guided Steve to his bedroom where he cleaned the scratch, gave him some pajamas which for Steve meant a shirt and that's it. Then they laid down and Eddie knew Steve was scared to fall asleep again but Eddie was running his hands up and down his back softly, rhythmically. Steve tucked into his side and Eddie started humming again and Steve was out. It took a while for Eddie to fall asleep though but come morning Steve was surprised he actually got some sleep.

It became routine for Steve to go to Eddie for sleep or help with nightmares.

Then Steve slipped. He fell asleep at a group sleepover at his house. Pool party this time. Being around Eddie just helped Steve sleep and this time he was one of the first to fall asleep. The kids were surprised, made jokes about it but they were all worried, they noticed just then how tired Steve looked even though he was sleeping. Eddie redirects their attention, he knows Steve wants to tell them about his nightmares, but didn't know how and Eddie wasn't going to be the one to do it. He didn't want to break Steve's trust.

Then Eddie fell asleep and he felt really guilty for that because he knew Steve would probably be freaked if he woke up and realized he fell asleep in front of everyone. He tried to stay awake but he was so damn tired from the day. Then they were all awoken by screams. Terrifying, heart-wrenching screams. They all were looking for the trouble, ready to fight but that's when they realized it was Steve. Steve who was screaming and thrashing and Eddie trying to get close to him.

They all watched in horror as Steve just stopped screaming and instead started gasping for air like he couldn't breath his movements desperate. Robin was crying and trying to get close and Nancy and Jon were trying to keep the kids calm and away. Then Steve started scratching at his neck. His face. And they all started crying and screaming for him to wake up, screaming at Eddie asking what was happening. Eddie had to explain.

He had to explain as he expertly caught Steve's hands and maneuvered himself behind Steve and held him. Yelling at everyone to shut up because Steve would be half asleep waking up and if he heard then crying, worrying, that he would think there was a problem and panic more. So they watched as Eddie spoke quietly into Steve's ear, rocking them and finally Steve woke up for a brief second before he just sobbed into Eddie's chest and fell back asleep.

Eddie had to tell them.

From there they tried to get Steve to open up, talk about everything that happened because they noticed, he was always there for them but they never noticed him struggling or even offered to see if he was. He never spoke about nightmare or problems and they all felt terrible but they were determined to be there now.

It took a while. Longer than they wanted but slowly Steve started to talk about what happened, how it made him feel, things even not Upside-down related.

They were all determined to take care of him the way he took care of them.

And if Eddie was one who took care of him more often than the others that was his business. And if he liked taking care of Steve and making sure he was okay that was his business too. And if maybe he just wanted to kiss Steve's sadness and stress away, again that was his business.

Until it became their business because Eddie actually kissed him one night and messy confessions were made but neither were trade them for anything.

#steddie brainrot #steddie ficlet #stranger things hc #eddie munson just wants to take care of steve #coincidentally steve harrington just wants to be cared for #the party loves steve #this is based off when i would have nightmares abour drowning or heavy thing being put on me and i would legit not breathe until i woke up #twas a scary time #not fun at all folks #thus i projected unto steve yet again #eddie munson #steve harrington #stranger things the party

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