#was this inspired by a real story of me taking 2 store brand benadryl because I misread the label? maybe

[starryeyedjanai]

tell me (everything will be alright)

steddie | 814 words | cw: drugs

Steve doesn’t pretend to know what Eddie gets up to in his spare time. He imagines he probably smokes a lot of weed, maybe dabbles in some of the harder stuff he sells from time to time.

So he’s utterly taken aback when Eddie calls him freaking out about a bad trip, asking if he’ll come over and babysit him because he, “Took something, Steve. Please, just get over here.”

He’s even more surprised when he’s sitting on the Munson couch and asks Eddie what he took that he needs babysitting for and Eddie won’t give him a straight answer.

“I’ve just, I’ve never taken it before, so I didn't know how I’d react,” Eddie says, and Steve is concerned.

Mushrooms? LSD? PCP? Are those two the same thing? Steve is not knowledgeable enough to babysit someone as they trip; he’s totally gonna screw this up.

Eddie turns to him with wide eyes and says, “I feel crazy, man. Like, I’m seein’ shit.”

“Like hallucinating?” Steve asks, running a stressed hand through his hair. He is not equipped to deal with this. “I need you to tell me what you took, man. I need to know what I’m dealing with here.”

Eddie shakes his head, says, “It’s stupid. It’s so stupid. You’re gonna make fun of me.”

“I promise I won't make fun of you. Please just tell me,” Steve asks, begs really, because this is starting to scare him.

Eddie grumbles and groans, but eventually says, “It’s on the counter,” with a frown.

Steve scrambles to get up and look. He looks on the counter and - he doesn't find anything. He sees leftovers, he sees a bottle of Benadryl, he sees random pieces of mail. He does not see drugs that would require someone to babysit Eddie while he trips.

“Eddie, I don't see- is it on the bathroom counter? I need to know what you took.” He turns around and sees Eddie listing sideways on the couch, like he’s fading fast. “Fuck,” Steve whispers, sprinting back over to the couch.

He kneels in front of Eddie and sits him upright again.

He’s not freaking out. He’s just going to be so, so calm about this. “Eddie,” he says, voice measured. “I need to know what you took so I can help you. I can't help if I don't know what I’m dealing with.”

Eddie looks at him through squinted eyes. “’told you it’s on the counter.”

“I didn't see anything on the counter,” he says, trying not to snap.

“It’s the-“ Eddie breathes deep through his nose. “It’s the goddamn Benadryl. Took two of those motherfuckers and now I’m so, so dizzy, Stevie.” He doesn't slur the words, but it's a close thing.

Steve stares at him. Breathes out deep and just stares for a minute. His lips twitch.

Eddie purses his lips. “You’re making fun of me in your head. I can tell!”

“Ed,” he tries saying, but a laugh bubbles up in his throat and he has to stop and throw a hand over his mouth to contain it.

“Steeeeeve,” Eddie whines, frowning, pathetic.

“I’m so sorry,” Steve says, pulling himself together. “You’re right. This is serious. You took two Benadryl.”

“I took two Benadryl,” Eddie repeats. He yawns, his jaw cracking.

Steve doesn't laugh. He tries to not even smile, but it’s so hard with Eddie looking at him with such sad eyes.

“You’re gonna be fine,” he says, pulling himself up and plopping down on the couch next to Eddie.

“How do you know that? I’m still dizzy,” Eddie says.

“I think you just, you got yourself a little worked up, is all.” He puts an arm around Eddie, guiding him to rest his head in Steve's lap. “As soon as you relax, you’ll fall right asleep. And I’ll be here the entire time.”

“You won't leave? You’re sure? You’ll stay the whole time?” Eddie asks.

“I won't leave,” he says, brushing a hand through Eddie’s hair.

“Oh,” Eddie says, when Steve’s hands continue to play with his hair. “This is nice,” he says through a yawn.

“See?” Steve says. “You’ll be asleep in just a minute and everything will be fine.”

“You won't let the demons get me?” Eddie asks nonsensically, voice slurring with how to close to sleep he is.

“I won't let any demons get to you. I’ll fight them off,” he says, smiling down at Eddie.

“You’ll protect me?” he asks. And-

And something funny happens in Steve’s chest, like his heart skips a beat or something.

“Yeah,” he says. “I’ll protect you. I’ll always protect you.”

Eddie sighs and says, “Yeah, I know you will.”

And that feeling is still there as Eddie’s breathing evens out. Steve keeps his hand in Eddie’s hair, succumbing to the fact that he’s stuck here until Eddie wakes up.

He thinks there are worse places he could be.

#this is lighthearted and dumb so don’t let the drug cw scare you #steddie #stranger things #st ficlet #stranger things ficlet #steddie ficlet #janai.doc #was this inspired by a real story of me taking 2 store brand benadryl because I misread the label? maybe #did I immediately conk out for 11 hours and have Benadryl Dreams2.0? yes