When Eddie woke up in the hospital, Steve's face was the first thing he saw.

Not Wayne (he was at work).

Not a nurse.

A doctor.

Just Steve, cross-legged in a plastic chair, reading Lord of The Rings. Outloud.

"Oh good, I'm not dead," Eddie groans, "Or if I am, this is a pretty good replica of Hawkins Memorial."

Steve stops speaking mid-word and stares at him, "You're awake."

"And that's shocking because?"

"Because you haven't been, for days."

"And you know this because?"

Steve closes the book, after tucking a receipt in the pages to hold his place, "Because I've been here, every fucking single day since you got here."

Eddie's face must go dumbfounded.

"I carried you out of there," Steve says, "Had to make sure you pulled through."

"Oh," Eddie says lamely, struggling to sit up and face him, "Um, thanks?"

Steve rolls his eyes, "You're welcome."

"I didn't know you cared that much about me, Harrington."

At this, Steve's face goes fuchsia, "I didn't realize it until… I almost lost you."

Eddie doesn't know what comes over him, but next thing he knows he's full-on sobbing, trying to hide his face behind the thin bedsheets.

"Hey, it's ok," Steve is beside him in an instant, "I'm sorry, this is all a lot, isn't it."

Eddie nods, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Steve wipes away a tear from his face with his thumb, "Shh, no, it's fine. It's all ok."

After a few moments, his breathing starts to regulate and the tears subside. "Thanks, Big Boy," Eddie says, bumping their shoulders together.

"Of course," Steve says, returning the gesture. Eddie smiles broadly at him. "There's my Pretty Boy," Steve murmurs.

This does something to Eddie. Pretty Boy? That's new.

"Pretty Boy?" Eddie asks.

Steve blushes again, "Sorry, I've been wanting to use that. Too soon?"

"No. Just, it's different."

"Good different, or bad different?"

"Good," Eddie hums. They sit there for a moment, before Eddie turns to him, "How long have you had a crush on me, Big Boy?"

"A while," Steve admits, "Just, didn't know that's what it was." He gives Eddie a sheepish smile.

"A while as in middle school, or?"

"Before that," Steve looks at his lap, letting his hair fall over his eyes. It isn't as voluminous as normal, Eddie notices. He kinda likes it like this, a little messy.

"Elementary school?" Eddie faux-gasps.

"You had black and white checkerboard Vans and I was so jealous," Steve laughs.

"Ah yes," Eddie muses, "So, fourth grade."

"Mhm," Steve nods, "I um… Back then, if I thought about guys like that, I thought it was a sin…" He looks like he doesn't know why he said it, like he kind of just blurted it out.

Eddie nods slowly, "I get it. It ain't easy when everyone thinks there's only one sort of love."

"I was worried that you weren't- that you wouldn't…"

"That I wasn't gay?" Eddie rests a hand on Steve's thigh, "Well actually, I'm not. I'm bi, Stevie. I like a bit of both."

Steve's mouth makes a cute little surprised O, "I didn't even… That's a thing?"

"Mhm," Eddie nods, "Kinda like how you shagged Nancy, and now you wanna shag me. It is, indeed, a thing."

"I did not shag Nancy," Steve scowls.

Eddie rolls his eyes, "The third-floor supply closet would beg to differ."

"How do you… Nope, never mind, I don't want to know."

"Everyone does it in there," Eddie shrugs, patting Steve on the shoulder.

"You know, you're the only person who could be unconscious for three days and wake up and be just as annoying as you were."

"Uh, rude," Eddie scoffs, but he can see Steve is trying to stifle a smile. Eddie leans over and ruffles his hair, "Well, you're the only one who gets up and styles their hair to go to the hospital."

"Hey! I didn't even put any hairspray in it this morning, I was in a hurry. To come see you, asshole."

"Yeah, me, who was unconscious," he gives Steve a shit-eating grin. "I like this, though," he musses his hair again, "Much softer… I don't feel like I'd lose an eye if I leaned in to kiss you."

"I planned ahead," Steve laughs softly.

"Oh did you? Planning on kissing a dead guy, without his consent?" Eddie teases.

"You weren't dead," Steve reminds him.

"Thanks to you," Eddie says, tucking a strand of hair behind Steve's ear, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Steve says quietly.

Eddie leans in slowly so Steve has time to back out if he's not ready, but he stays put, and chapped lips meet wonderfully soft lips that taste like Juicy Fruit gum.

When they separate, Eddie pinches his own thigh. "Nope, not dreaming," he winces.

"Sorry, it's all real," Steve grins.

They lay together on the hospital bed for a while, Eddie ribs Steve about reading LOTR to him, and Steve reminds him that he's the one who introduced him to the series in the first place.

"You're the reason my life is so not normal," Steve groans, "It's a good thing my parents are never home, or they'd one hundred percent be sending me for an exorcism."

"Oh come on Stevie boy," Eddie gives him a gentle noogie, "You know you love it."

"Hell better be worth it," Steve smirks, kissing Eddie briefly.

"You'll at least get to burn with me, Big Boy," Eddie grins, "Forever and ever and ever."

"For now can we just focus on getting you out of here, so I'm not stuck here forever?" he gestures widely at the room.

Eddie sighs, "I go through all the trouble of reserving us a private suite, and this is the thanks I get?"

Steve laughs, and rolls off the bed, which makes Eddie pout.

"I have to take a piss," Steve says, "And then see if there's any room service in this shithole of a hotel."

"I hear the chocolate pudding cups are do die for," Eddie jokes.

"Noted, two chocolate puddings," Steve gives him two finger guns and backs out into the hallway. "I'll be back," he says, as the door closes.

Eddie could get used to this, he thinks. It's not quite Heaven, mainly because his whole left side fucking hurts. But, it's close. It's a weird little pocket of happiness in what, up until now, had been a bit of a lonely existence for a lanky boy with a mess of brown curls. At least now it wasn't so lonely, he thought. Now there were at least two lost souls swimming in this murky fishbowl.