Phone Call (Stranger Things, Steve)

[Skylacticon]

Hey. I hope you all have been well. I'm sick and I haven't been able to really go anywhere, so I typed this up. It's a mini Steddie hurt/comfort thing I wrote, partly in attempt to cheer myself up and get myself back in a creative mood. Anyways, I hope you might like it. 🧡

 

-

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hey Ed,” a low, croaky voice greeted.

 

“Heeyy, Stevie-boy." Eddie responded with gusto. "How’s it going?”

 

Steve chuckled, causing a small cough to emerge from him. He sniffled and combed back his hair with his fingers. “Uh, you kdow. *ahem* -*ahemm, snrff!*” He cringed slightly at the thickness of his voice.

 

“Still not feeling so good?”

 

“I’ve… beed better.” He admitted slowly, staring at the line where the wall met the ceiling. “Like I’b dot dyig or adythig. *snrf!* I’b just… God, hold od-“ Steve lowered the receiver and turned his face into his shoulder, his eyelids fluttering. “huhH’-! …hunh. *sdrf*” He paused, sniffling. “Sorry, I- *snrff* thought I was godda sdeeze.”

 

“That’s okay,” Eddie could hear a soft, squishy sound, and could picture Steve rubbing stubbornly at his nose.

 

“Yeah, but ub… *ahemm* I’ve just beed id bed bost of the tih- huh-! -t-tibe- huH’AASCHHiuu!! *snrk!* -unhh, excuse be… *snrff!*”

 

“Bless you, my love.”

 

“Thagk- hhthagk youhh… Hih! Odesecod- rrRRESSCHHiuhh!!-ESSCHHh!! Hihh! hihyY’ESSSCHHIEWW!!” Eddie heard a thump and scratchy tumble as Steve must have dropped the receiver on a soft surface, like a bed. The next pair of sneezes were muffled, as if covered by tissues. “‘RRESSCHHMM!! … Hihh… huh’KDJSCHHh!!-ioo…” Then there were some wet, gurgling blows, and a few more clicks as he picked up the receiver. Eddie could hear Steve's congested sniffles in his ear, and a rough attempt to clear his throat. “Oh by god... Pardod be, sorry. *hsnrf!*” Steve croaked.

 

“God bless you,” Eddie murmured, lying back on his bed. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yeah, I’b just, *snrk!* I get really sdeezy at the start of a cold." There was a soft squeaking, like he was rubbing his nose. "Sobetibes it gets worse, so I’b hopig it doesd’t… ohh, *sdrff!* hope it doesd’t this tibe, cuz I’b so… I’b so tired already.”

 

Eddie’s heart sank, hearing it in Steve’s raspy, congested voice.

 

“Adyway, I’b sorry. *sdrf!*”

 

Eddie blinked. “For what?”

 

“Ub… I duddo, I’b cobplaidig, a’d… *sngk* you kdow, I’ll live. It’s just…”

 

“Oh, I know. I know you’ll live, sweetheart.” Eddie switched the receiver over to his other ear.

 

“Sobetibes people get sigk of-“ Steve was cut off by a harsh, rough-sounding wave of coughs. “Oh god. Sorry. Sigk of be… cobplaidig all the tibe.” He finished softly.

 

“Who does?” The words escaped his mouth for reasons unknown - perhaps the defensiveness he felt in his chest, or the sympathetic pain he felt from not being able to be close to Steve.

 

“Uh… *ahkrm* by paredts, sobetibes. A’d, ub…” he started to trail off, then abruptly, “You kdow, it’s fide. Sorry, I dod’t-“

 

“Wheeler?”

 

There was a moment of silence in which Eddie hated his boldness. Then, “Yeah.”

 

“Oh.” Eddie had to do a mental pole jump over the boiling vat of mixed feelings that discovery had given him. “Well, I mean, you don’t need to worry about that with me, okay? You’re not bothering me. In fact, you’re entitled to complain. It’s not your fault you got sick, and you deserve to have someone know how you feel. Like, even if I can’t do much. It’s the very least I can do, Steve. Ergo ipso facto my beloved, I’m all ears. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Another beat of silence. Steve sniffled wetly again, and his fingers kept raking through his hair, as if that could stave off the lump in his throat.

 

“That’s,” Steve breathed, when he could finally trust himself to speak. “That’s really kind of you.”

 

“Its what I’m here for,” Eddie said casually, absentmindedly rotating a ring on his finger. “No need to thank me for anything.”

 

“I just feel shitty for dot… *snrf* you kdow, beig able to do what I had planned this week. *ahem!* Dustid has this hackig-? Hack-a-thod… sobethig… a’d thed Mr. Weber… I said I’d do la’dscapig for hib this Thursday, ahhd... hehh- hih! huh'AASSCHHiu!!-AASSCHHiu!! hih! -HURRESSCHHHioo!!! *snnrff* Ugh, god..."

 

"Bless you, Stevie."

 

"Thagk you. *snrff!*"

 

Eddie took a breath, listening to Steve recover from that sudden bout of sneezes. It sounded rough. After a bit, he started to speak. “Well, this might not be the most valuable coming from me of all people and hear me out, seriously- your health matters above those things. So, you know, I just suggest you focus on getting better.”

 

“I ab," Steve replied breathily.

 

“Yeah. Good. And don’t worry about letting people down. They can figure it out.  The thing is… you matter more.”

 

There was a soft swish and a sniffle, as if Steve had swiped at his nose. “Ah, you’re godda bake be start cryig.” he croaked, and it sounded as if there were a smile plastered to his face.

 

Eddie grinned, at the ready. “You came to right hotline, good sir. Cry at will.”

 

“Doe, I wod’t, I- huh’ESSCHHiu!! *sdrf!* I’b a bess, already, as it is. Ah, sorry. *snrf!*"

 

“Bless you. A hot mess.”

 

“Thagk you,” Steve said automatically, and then chuckled at that last bit, refraining a little as it made him cough. “*sdf* But, ub…” Steve stared up at the ceiling. “Thagk you, Eddie. Agaid.”

 

“Anytime. I mean it.”

 

For a moment, they said nothing, staying in the presence of each other through the phone. Eddie listened the sound of Steve’s ragged breathing, still fidgeting with his rings. His eyes wandered to his desk, where a blank rogue figurine sat, next to a row of painted ones.

 

“Adyway, I… I thigk I’b godda try and take a dap. I just… wadted to hear your voice. I sucks not beig able to see you.”

 

“By and by, my prince. By and by.”

 

“Okay,” Steve whispered. He still didn’t hang up.

 

“Will you call me when you wake up?”

 

“Sure.”

 

“Only if you feel like it. I just,” Eddie immediately backpedaled, not wanting to give orders. “…Just wanna know you’re okay.”

 

“I will,” Steve chuckled.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Bye.”

 

“Bye.”

 

Click.

[secret19]

Oh my god I’ve missed you!! This is amazing as always. Sorry to hear your not feeling well but I always love to see your name on the stream    

[ThatSneezyGirl]

This is so cute 🥺 can’t wait for the next chapter!!

[Ivorygrace27]

As always I LOVE your writing, thank you for this and torturing steve! I hope there is more, this made my night! It was so sweet the dialog between the two.

[hetchiew]

So good!!

[funbusej]

They are literally my FAVORITES, and you write them SO well.

[AutumnSneezes]

This was the CUTEST THING!!!!! Eddie is so loving and Steve is such a baby boy, needing reassurance and all the love! I adored your characterisation, too. So wonderful, thanks so much for sharing! 

[Prongs]

I’m so soft for this and them. 🥺 what wouldn’t I give for someone to talk to me that softly when I’m sick and don’t feel good? 🥹 Aaand now I’m daydreaming. So adorable, thank you for writing!