The Queen of Comfort

Trials and tribulations of a woman who just wants to be loved. 22/F. Sneeze/comfort romanticizer. Bless you’s, jacket offers, tissues, forehead feels, and more.

[comfortqueenie]

why is it whenever i have celebrity snz dreams i never react how i would in life? if harry styles sneezed in front of me— THE SACCARINE BLESS YOU THAT WOULD SLIDE OFF OF MY LIPS LIKE HONEY? meanwhile in my dream, i’m just like watching it happen? HELLLLOOOO???

[comfortqueenie]

Any C/ritical R/ole fans out there? I have some fics already written, but don’t know if they’d really find their intended audience here? Let me know if you’re interesting in reading!

[comfortqueenie]

Hey, y’all! I wasn’t expecting much of a response for these, sorry for the delay. I will be posting a couple very soon. I’m cleaning them up a bit, and got so carried away on one, that 2.5k of Essek/Caleb is slowly becoming a multipart installment. Stay tuned! Thanks for supporting my fun. :)

[comfortqueenie]

Well, everyone— I finally did it! Tumblr is giving me a lot of issues with formatting and stuff, so I’m gonna link the story below. I ended up posting it on the forum, so this will just be easier. You can find my notes below the story, as well.

I present to you my 9K dream canon friends to lovers origin story for my two favorite wizards— The Catalyst.

cat·a·lyst [ˈkadləst] noun a substance that increases the rate of a chemical or arcanic reaction without itself undergoing any permanent che

Let me know what you think. ♥️

[hiddenst0rms]

I'm forever intrigued by actors acting out sneezes, especially voice actors because they only have their voice to work with. What goes through their heads when they see it in the script?? Do they get embarrassed? How do they make themselves sound congested when they're not? Do they have to practice it? What if there's an actor somewhere that has this kink and feels awkward having to act out sneezes? Imagine the director having to say "I don't like that one, do it again." How does this work??

[comfortqueenie]

As a professional actor that has this kink and has had this happen to me— allow me to set the stage.

So, this is legit what got me over my mental block when it came to sneezing and anything related. I used to be SO closeted and weird about it, like holy shit— it makes me cringe just thinking about it. Murmuring a bless you was like a GRAND day in my book.

Then, I booked a role that required I have a cold.

The best equivalency I can make is faking sex or intimacy on stage/on camera. Like, of COURSE it was uncomfortable and weird. That is a very vulnerable thing. And faking a sneeze, in a way, is like faking sex for me. It’s just as vulnerable, results in the same exact feelings in reality, and you’re playing with a part of yourself you’d rather keep private in public.

BUT— the more you do it, the more you get used to it, the more you realize, NOBODY cares. Ultimately, you’re just doing your job, and you also realize that the only person who is stigmatizing this sneeze is you. To everyone else, it’s nothing. Sneezing is such a mundane thing that they will never think about that workday or moment again.

So, yeah. At first— Ohhh my God, I was mortified. Like, literally my worst nightmare come true. But now, here I am like a year later and it doesn’t bother me a lick anymore. If anything, like I said, it got rid of my mental block in REAL life. I still will never sneeze in front of or say bless you to a family member because KILL ME DEAD, but I sneeze and bless my coworkers, friends, and strangers with complete ease and no second thought at this point. So, I’m kind of thankful for it!

As for practicing— it depends! I have a couple of friends who went the traditional BFA route and there was mention of multiple classes where they discussed stuff like that. Bodily functions, congested voice, etc. For me, I started auditioning straight out of High School, so all of my practice with that stuff came on my own time when it became necessary. But yes, I did practice!

To make yourself sound congested, the way I would best explain it is— hold your breath, but only in your nose. It’s like you’re pressurizing all the air in your nose to kind of shut off the passage of air. You basically have to plug your nose without using your fingers.

I enjoyed these questions thoroughly, LOL. If I weren’t operating in secret, I’d ask my non-fetish actor friends their takes for you, but unfortunately— I still have my boundaries. 😂

[comfortqueenie]

y’all i have so many fics that i’ve been working on for so long that are like 99% done but i get too wrapped up in the little things to actually go through with posting them. perfectionism is primarily a curse.

i have a 7k critical role fic, a 3k bridgerton fic, a 3k YOU (au) fic, and a 2k waitress fic just sitting in my drive. and they’re SO CLOSE. hopefully someday soon i will feel satisfied and share!

[comfortqueenie]

i see people post on the forum that there’s a chance there’s a celebrity they love that has the fetish and while i certainly wouldn’t consider myself a celebrity, i am a professional actor and there’s honestly a legitimate chance someone on that forum has seen me perform. this is why i will never reveal my fetish to my boyfriend. what if we broke up and he got pissed and revealed it to the world? i seriously don’t think i’ll ever be able to take that risk and that’s kinda sad. none of my partners or friends will ever be able to know for fear of them blackmailing me or something. thinking about that a lot lately.

#FETISHPROBZ

[comfortqueenie]

Any C/ritical R/ole fans out there? I have some fics already written, but don’t know if they’d really find their intended audience here? Let me know if you’re interesting in reading!

[comfortqueenie]

Hey, y’all! I wasn’t expecting much of a response for these, sorry for the delay. I will be posting a couple very soon. I’m cleaning them up a bit, and got so carried away on one, that 2.5k of Essek/Caleb is slowly becoming a multipart installment. Stay tuned! Thanks for supporting my fun. :)

[comfortqueenie]

Any C/ritical R/ole fans out there? I have some fics already written, but don’t know if they’d really find their intended audience here? Let me know if you’re interesting in reading!

[comfortqueenie]

I will now be hyperfixating on Knives Out… again.

Any snz people into Knives Out? Perhaps writing it? I might try it out.

Benoit Blanc is a sweetheart. That’s all.

[comfortqueenie]

Can we talk about how Joseph Quinn is a compulsive blesser? There are so many videos of him at cons, and in interviews, blessing people. Never in the context of a sneeze from what I’ve seen, but that’s GOTTA MEAN HE DOES, right? Even hearing the words ooze from his lips make me kick my little feet.

We also know for a fact that Joe Keery is a blesser. There’s that one video where he says it to a woman in the background- which is also a strange fantasy of mine/one of my favorite things to scan con videos for. A celebrity blessing an interviewer, or fan, or stranger in a restaurant. It’s very sweet. Makes them seem more human, more accessible. I just love it.

I LOVE BLESSING!!! LET’S HEAR IT FOR BLESSING, FOLKS!

p.s- it’s ironic because i’m not religious in the slightest, i just love the hurt/comfort and politeness aspect of it.

[butyoumakemesohot]

hellooooo! i really wanted to write a little something inspired by all the posts about steve i've been seeing recently so here it is! i basically rewrote that scene in s4 with a few ~twists~ (1.3k words)

(for more, please check out this amazing fic by my beloved @softsnzstuff that's about s3 steve! <3)

-

Steve can't stop shivering.

His feet are bare, his neck is sore, the makeshift bandages tied around his waist are already darkening to a deep crimson, and he can't. Stop. Shivering. He drags a tired hand over his face, losing another battle against a shiver that runs down his spine as he narrowly avoids a vine slithering across the ground.

"I'm gonna say something, Harrington, and I mean this in the nicest way possible," Eddie tells him. He's only walking a few feet in front of him, but Steve still has to squint to be able to see him through the particles of dust and mold and whatever other gross shit infests this place.

Steve rolls his eyes, teeth chattering. "Lay it on m'be."

"I didn't think you could look any more pathetic, but after the shit you just pulled with the lake and those freaky demonic bats, let's just say you've succeeded."

"*snrrff* What do you m'bead?" He knows exactly what Eddie means. He sniffles again, a bit quieter this time, swiping the heel of his hand beneath his nose.

"Please, man. It's obvious you've been sick the past couple days." He shines his flashlight towards Nancy and Robin, who are walking just a few yards ahead. "Those two have been fawning over you the entire time."

He's right: between all the Victor Creel discourse and the Max check-ins and the occasional ability to actually catch some sleep, Steve's friends have been diligently checking on him. Even the little ones - although he supposes they aren't so little anymore - have been eyeing him warily, silently making sure his illness doesn't develop into something more serious.

As far as Steve knows, it's still just a head cold. But after spending about half an hour traipsing through the Upside Down and having one too many brushes with death... well, he definitely feels much worse for wear.

Still, his stubborn need to deflect kicks in. "What? N'do they h-hhaved't... Hhuh'ESCHHHh! Ugh..."

He grimaces at the sudden, sharp pain in his abdomen, stopping in his tracks to catch his breath. Eddie's hand lands sympathetically on his shoulder, stays there until Steve's ready to walk again.

"Gesundheit." Eddie gives him a half-hearted smile. "And relax, it's not a bad thing. In fact, between that and the way they totally just hopped through a gate to hell to save your ass, well... you've got me convinced you're no longer the guy you were in high school."

Steve sniffles thickly, trying to ignore another harsh tickle that enters his sinuses. "You m'bead - *snffg* - a total douchebag?"

"I didn't say that."

"You did't have to."

"Dude, will you quit getting so defensive?"

"He always gets in a mood when he's sick," Robin chimes in from up ahead. There's a certain smugness in her voice that makes Steve roll his eyes again. "Don't take it too personally."

"Hh'ESSCHh! Hehh'TSCHHH! Hh'tSCHHHh!" He lets out a soft, pained groan as he nearly goes blind from the rush of pain in his side, his eyes squeezed shut. "Ouch."

"Bless you." It's Robin's turn to say it this time. She makes sure he opens his eyes again, waits for him to flash her a quick thumbs-up before linking arms with Nancy, resuming their conversation in a hushed tone.

Eddie's the one to stop first this time. His eyes flicker between Steve's hardened face and the way he's got his hand pressed tight against his abdomen, loosening his grip only when the pain starts to dissipate. Steve should probably feel more self-conscious over the fact that Eddie's been closely analyzing him ever since they arrived in the Upside Down, but for some reason, he doesn't seem to mind.

"Sorry," Steve says, voice lowered. Robin and Nancy carry on up ahead, out of listening distance. "I... *snnff* I kn'dow wered't tryi'g to..."

"Hey, it's all good." Eddie pats him on the shoulder again. "Although, you should know I'm not one to pass negative judgment on people I don't know very well."

Steve grins. "Except for whed you sta'd on ludch tables and hurl idsults at people, right?"

"Shit, did Henderson tell you about that? That little -"

"Hah'ESCHHH-unhh.." Steve winces as he stumbles forward a bit, clutching at his bandages again. How he manages to avoid tripping over a vine, he has no idea. "Hh'tSSCHHh! God dam'bn it."

"Shit. Bless you. Uh, hang on." Eddie digs in his back pockets until he's able to produce a black bandana, waving it in front of Steve with a dramatic flourish.

"Here you go. It's..." He wrinkles his nose, "not completely wet?"

Steve chuckles, only accepting the piece of cloth in good faith. After all, he doesn't want Eddie to witness him doing something completely disgusting like blowing his nose. He should probably explore those feelings later. "As lo'g as it's clead. *snuurf!*"

"I mean, if you exclude all the strands of hepatitis that are probably swimming around Lover's Lake."

"Dude, gross."

They start walking again, maintaining a good distance behind the girls up front. Eddie saddles up next to Steve, absentmindedly brushing his leather-clad arm against Steve's bare shoulder. Yeah, he's probably gonna think about that later, too.

"Anyways," Eddie carries on. "All I'm saying is, you're not exactly the person I expected you to be."

"Yeah. N'deither are you." Steve mindlessly scrubs at his nostrils with the bandana, snuffling back some of the wetness in his nose. "I guess we - *snrrrf* *snff* - dod't really kn'dow each other that well, huh?"

"Well, then, time to rectify that."

The longer-haired boy smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a kind-hearted way that immediately proves Steve's point. Especially as he sticks a hand out, comically wiggling his eyebrows.

"The name's Edward James Munson Jr.," he says, putting on a deeper, more formal voice. "but my friends usually just call me Eddie."

Steve smirks. "Dice try - Hehh- Hh'ASCHHHh! - but you're dot getti'g m'by full n'dambe out of m'be."

"Damn it."

"Also, there's n'do way I'mb shaki'g your hand."

"What? Why?"

"I dod't - hhhh - wadda get you sick. *snfffg* - Ugh, ha'g od."

Steve comes to a sudden stop, doubling over from a couple more harsh sneezes. He can feel Eddie's hand on his upper back as he mirrors Steve's position, bent over just enough to get a good look at his face.

"We all just spontaneously swam through some gooey portal to the underworld," Eddie says, his smile growing wider, "and you wanna lecture me about health and safety?"

Steve blinks his eyes open, letting out a soft laugh once he meets Eddie's eyes. He's right. Again. This is all absolutely insane. And to top it off, he can't go five minutes without sneezing.

Which is why he decidedly sticks out his hand, sniffling softly. "Steve. Uh, also kn'dow'd as form'ber douchebag, but m'by frie'ds usually just call me Steve."

Something softens in Eddie's eyes when their hands meet. Steve squeezes with a firm, instinctive shake - just like his dad caught him - while Eddie continues to stare at him, looking like he has something else he wants to say. Steve barely has time to memorize any of the othr boy's callouses or pulse points before he has to yank his arm back to cover his face again.

"Hh'EHHSCHHh! Nnnhh..." God, this sucks. "Hahh'TSSCHHH!"

Steve mops up his running nose with the bandana again, clutching his side with his free hand. Eddie claps him on the back again.

"Blessings and tidings, Steve-o," he says. His eyes are still closed as he waits for the pain in his abdomen to subside, but Steve can hear the sound of leather shifting and crinkling from where Eddie's stood. "Now man up and take my other jacket. You're still shivering, you know."

[comfortqueenie]

THIS IS PERFECT. THANK YOU! 😍

[snzkoi-deactivated3743004-deact]

preferences and history questions :)

red: how long have you had this kink, and when did you discover that there was a community for it?

orange: do you acknowledge it when other people sneeze? how? and under what conditions?

yellow: is there anything out in that world that peripherally reminds you of this kink, even if it may not be so obvious to vanillas?

green: what’s your favorite (or least favorite) community-specific term?

grey: how have your preferences changed over the years?

blue: how open are you when it comes to talking about it with others?

indigo: have you ever disclosed your kink to anyone who didn’t have it?

violet: have you ever been caught? did you confess or cover it up?

black: how do you feel about being the person sneezing, as opposed to the observer?

white: what are you like as a caretaker? and as a receiver of caretaking?

crystal: are there any situations or types of people involved that enhance kink material for you?

[comfortqueenie]

Thank you for such an INCREDIBLE response to my first fic. Genuinely, wasn’t expecting that. I figured I should give you all a chance to get to know me. Feel free to ask me any questions, and you can always use these prompts as a guide! :)

[softsnzstuff]

Doctor Eddie having a terrible pollen day, which makes him horrendously sneezy. But then, one of his patients has cat dander on them. So he starts to hold back his reaction until he finishes with the patient and absolutely explodes to the point of feeling faint.

So then, his asthma (I head cannon him to have asthma nobody can convince me otherwise😂) flares up

So Nurse Stevie has to help him change, splash water onto him, give him an inhaler and catch his sneezes.

My whole thing is just soft 😂😂😂

This has been in my inbox for so long I’m SO sorry!! I don’t know if I know enough about asthma to do that part justice, BUT please accept this drabble with very allergic Dr.Rockstar. (Pre-Steddie)

❤️-KB

Robin and Steve were in the break room pouring themselves coffee when the back door opened. In true Eddie fashion, he announced his presence in the most unconventional way.

“H’isSHoo! Eh’isshu! iKTch’ew!”

Robin smirked as she whipped around. “Bless you Doctor Rockstar.”

“Thanks…” he mumbled, sniffling helplessly into a wad of tissues he pulled from his pocket.

“You got a cold, Doc?” Steve asked, stirring his coffee.

“N’do it’s - H’eSH’iew! - bad allergy day…”

“Did you take some allergy medicine?”

“snFF, every day like clockwork, Stevie. It’s just really bad todhhhay… NgxxTch! Ktsch’EW!”

“Bless you Doctor Rockstar.” Robin and Steve chimed in unison, smiling.

God he hated that stupid running joke.

“Thank you.”

———

The morning was peppered with sneezing Fits from Eddie. He really tried to hold them in when he was seeing patients, succumbing to the tickle in his office or outside of the exam rooms.

His downfall came when one of their patients came in, covered in cat hair. Usually he’d be okay enough, but on top of the ragweed, he was super sensitive.

He left the room in a hurry, running into Steve just outside the office.

“Steve can you order hhhher lab whhhork?” He’d no sooner finished the sentence before jerking to the side away from Steve.

“Isssh! Tissssh’ew! H’ISHew!”

“Bless you Doctor Rockstar.”

“Thank- iGT’chew! H’eKSHh eksssh! …h’NGtch’EW!”

“Whoa whoa, easy.” Steve rubbed a hand up and down Eddie’s back, the older man leaning against the wall for support. “Are you okay?”

“Got a little dizzy…” he mumbled into his tissues.

Steve supported Eddie by the elbow, helping him to the chair in his office. Once sitting, Eddie blew his nose a few times and pulled some fresh tissues to wipe away some allergic tears.

“NxxT! IxxTch! H’Nxxt!!”

“Geez, it really is a bad allergy day. Here, this might help.”

Steve grabbed a couple paper towels from the bathroom and wet them in the sink so they were damp. He came back to Eddie’s office and knelt down in front of him.

“I’m just gonna see if this can’t was some of the pollen off you.”

Eddie nodded, sniffling thickly as Steve gently wiped at Eddie’s face. First his forehead, then around his eyes and moving down his cheeks.

Eddie’s nostrils flared, “Steve m’gonna…”

Steve, realizing, moved the wet paper towels over his nose and mouth, holding them there as Eddie plunged into them.

“ehMPTchu! P’tch’EW! iKSHew!”

Steve moved the towels away slowly, handing Eddie some dry tissues instead.

“I’b so sorry Steve!” Eddie exclaimed.

“Don’t be! You know I have allergies too, don’t even worry about it.” Steve reassured, “I do think you should shower and change into some new clothes though.”

“Yeah,” Eddie nodded, “That m’bight help.”

[comfortqueenie]

In honor of @dontfeeltoohot’s BIRTHDAY, I decided to go out on a limb and make my tumblr debut. I’ve been lurking in the shadows reading everybody’s Steddie content (and obsessing over it), and though I’m nervous, I wanted to share this fic and see if y’all liked it! I wrote this a couple months ago, and have been agonizing over sharing it because you all have set the bar SO HIGH?!?!?? That being said, I thought today would be the perfect day to share a little over 2.6k of early Steddie. I mean, really early.

From the bottom of my heart- I hope you all enjoy!

_____________________________________________

“Absolutely not.”

“Steve…”

“It’s out of the question, Nance. We all need to stick together; it’s too dangerous.”

Nancy followed Steve to a corner, both of them exchanging frustrated half-whispers and erratically making use of what little space was available to them in the boathouse. Eddie, Robin, and the kids all watched with slight amusement.

“Well, what do you suppose we do with him?” She punctuated her pause with an emphatic noise and crossed her arms. “He’s a wanted suspect for a high-profile murder case. We can’t just saunter into town with a fugitive!”

“He’s gotten by just fine these past couple of days.” Steve looked at Eddie Munson out of the corner of his eye and shook himself out of his thoughts before they could begin. “Besides, why am I always the one who has to stay behind?”

“Because!” Nancy cupped her cheeks in stress.

“Because, what?” Steve bit at his words. The two of them completely stilled.

“Steve.” Nancy began calmly, lowering her hands from her face and folding them neatly in front of her torso. “We have a very specific itinerary that requires a very specific order and a very specific set of skills. Your skill set will better serve us here.”

“Being the babysitter?” Steve chuckled, defensively.

“Protecting. Taking care of things. Taking care of people.” Steve glanced at Eddie and the kids. Eddie and Dustin were sharing mumbled conversation, and Max was kicking dirt around.

He sighed at that.

“It’s a compliment, Steve.” She meant that.

Steve silently shook his head in thought and pinched the bridge of his nose before raising that same hand defeatedly.

“Nance, I really don’t know wh-“

“Please.”

That stopped Steve in his tracks. He froze at the abrupt tonal shift for a moment, before putting his hand at his side.

“Please, just trust me on this.” Nancy continued, pleading. She didn’t want to offer an explanation. They both gazed at each other with a softness that had lacked mere moments before. One look into those brown doe eyes never failed to completely wreck Steve’s constitution- even now, when they’d both moved on.

Steve blinked, quickly ruffling at his hair in empty frustration.

He didn’t need an explanation.

“…Jesus Christ.” Steve rubbed at the muscles in his face, muffling his voice. He righted himself. “Fine. Keep me updated, though. Seriously. I’ll have the walkie ready.”

“Deal. Thank you.” She gave him a grateful smile and turned to take off.

“Don’t make me regret it… alright?” He caught her by the forearm and made eye contact with her.

“We’ll be quick.” She nodded reassuringly.

In a blur, she took the remaining members of the party out of the shed closing the doors behind her. Steve stood facing the door, massaging his head with a worried sigh.

“So…”

Steve would have jumped out of his skin if he hadn’t become keenly numb to surprises. He turned around to be face to face with Hawkin’s most wanted. Eddie Munson. Clothes dusty, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, and an unattainable combination of chaos and neutrality.

“Looks like it’s just you and me, King Steve.” A devilish grin spread across Eddie’s face.

“First time for everything, pal.” Steve moved to sit in a makeshift chair in the center of the room, picking up a catalog for the local hardware store from the floor on the way. Normally he would make an effort to disguise his disdain, but right now, he was just pissed. “I’m assuming you’re alright with comfortable silence?”

Eddie had a way of making eye contact that really took a person out- as if the other man was looking for something within Steve that he couldn’t find. Still, he was met with the same smirk.

“Comfortable silence is my middle name.”

Steve bitterly laughed at the fallacy within that statement.

“Awesome.”

———————

Eddie and Steve basked in that ‘comfortable’ silence for a considerable amount of time. Eddie paced, understandably, trying to turn his attention to a myriad of things that didn’t deserve it. Steve did feel a pang of sympathy. If he were in Eddie’s shoes, he’d probably be just as erratic- if not more so. The guy was honestly handling it pretty well.

Not to mention, Eddie and Steve had a specific history. Steve was never unkind to him, but he also wouldn’t have dared to blink an eye in his direction for the sake of his own reputation. His friends, on the other hand, were absolutely terrible to Eddie. Steve always felt guilty seeing him in the halls.

There was a particular occasion wherein Tommy shoved Eddie to the ground so hard he hit his head. That was the one time he had seen Munson’s facade crack. Steve hung back until the rest of them were far enough away, and wordlessly helped Eddie to his feet. He cringed now, remembering that he waited. Now, Steve was here to protect him. It was painfully ironic. Even worse- Eddie was in far deeper than that day in the halls.

Steve closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples. He did have a bit of a headache. Maybe being able to take a quick rest from the constant moving would be nice. Nance, Rob, and the kids could all handle themselves. It would be fine. He stretched his neck, took a deep breath, and gently shut his eyes. He needed a break. For a short time, anyway.

“Hih-nxt!”

Steve immediately opened his eyes and turned his vision to the muffled sound. While he could tell it was a sneeze, it was so quiet he raised an eyebrow in disbelief when he saw Eddie’s face buried in his shirt. As if to confirm, Eddie’s body tensed and wracked with a second stifle.

“HXN-tcht!”

It was certainly a gentler sneeze than what he expected from Eddie Munson: King of the Satanic Panic. He watched as Eddie pulled his face from his shirt, and cleared his throat.

“…Bless you.” He murmured, remembering his manners, and turned his attention back to the dirtied catalog.

The itch temporarily subsided, and Eddie was grateful to find Steve unphased by the quick fit. In fact, Harrington seemed to be trying not to look at him. He knocked himself out of his silent observance.

“Thanks.” Eddie sniffled.

Steve nodded absently in response.

————————————————————————

“H-huh…”

Steve clenched his jaw and turned his eyes to Eddie. A couple of sneezes had morphed into something far worse over the past twenty minutes. The other man looked miserable. Eddie kept reaching to itch his eyes, and his nose, and clearing his throat was getting more painful with every fit. Steve watched worriedly as Eddie’s nose twitched with hitching breaths. It was getting so helpless, Steve nearly rose to assist the poor guy. Before he could, Eddie pitched forward into the collar of his jacket.

“Ugh.. hih! H-hih.. HIT-chuh!”

Steve frowned. Each sneeze was getting harsher. Eddie slumped against the workbench with a huff, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He moved them up and down aggressively in an attempt to relieve the constant itch.

Steve put his magazine down and planted both feet on the floor. He leaned forward with clasped hands, resting his elbows on his legs. It was too frequent to write off as an arbitrary tickle at this point. Something was wrong.

“You okay, man?” Steve couldn’t help but chuckle as Eddie met his eyes with a stony gaze.

“Aggressively okay. Actually, I’m wonderfully okay given the circumstances.” Eddie reassured Steve with a smirk and a nonchalant crossing of his legs. “Why?”

“Well, you don’t sound aggressively okay.” Eddie took a hand to his right eye, scrubbing it with discomfort. Steve leaned back in his chair, cocking an eyebrow. “Got a cold, or something?”

Eddie was impressed. People could say what they wanted about the guy, but he was actually pretty… gentle? He had a specific way of perceiving and being inquisitive that subtly disarmed a person. Eddie couldn’t tell if it was out of a general nonchalant-ness, or if it was something Steve had practiced. He was, like, weirdly good at it. He understood why he was known for his charm, now. He looked back at Steve and shook his head.

“Nah, I think it’s just something in the air. Super bad allergies. To like- everything.” Eddie resigned, surprising Steve, with a wave of the hand and an aggressive rub to the nose. “What I wouldn’t give to have remembered my Claritin, or even one goddamn tissue.” He gestured at the sky.

“You get allergies in November?” Steve asked in disbelief, cocking his eyebrow.

“Every day of every month, sweetheart.” Eddie tilted his head with a devilish smile. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black bandana, holding it in the air. He continued. “Contrary to popular belief, this is not a stylistic choice. Unfortunately, it would just make things worse. Not to mention, she’s been put to work these past couple of days.” He tucked it back in his pocket.

“Well, Christ. No wonder you’re sneezing.” Steve gestured around them. The surface area of the shed was coated in dust. Not to mention dirt, mold, and other miscellaneous debris. It was an allergy sufferer's nightmare. Steve let out an empathetic wince. “You must be miserable.”

“Honestly, it’s b-been.. hih..” Eddie’s breath hitched, and he pressed his elbow tightly to his face. “Huh-PTCHT! Ugh… excuse me. It’s been the least of my worries.”

Steve paused and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Bless you.” He sighed. Steve wished he could think of a better thing to say.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Eddie waved him off and wiped at his nose poignantly. Steve thought for a moment, before giving in. It was the least he could do.

“Well, here…” Steve dug into his back pocket now, as he stood to meet Eddie at the workbench he was leaning against. Avoiding eye contact with Eddie, he pulled out a neatly folded plaid handkerchief. “You can borrow this. I never use it, anyway.”

Eddie locked eyes with Steve, incredulously. Steve clocked Eddie's discomfort and walked towards him with the handkerchief held out. Eddie remained still as if weighing his options. Steve rolled his eyes, casually grabbed Eddie’s wrist, and pressed the handkerchief into his hand with a nearly imperceptible squeeze. Steve gently smiled, and then gave Eddie a firm nod that clearly meant ‘Blow your fucking nose,’ before looking at his watch to give the poor guy some privacy.

Eddie, taken aback, reluctantly turned away from Steve and gave a couple of soft blows that already began to relieve some of the building pressure in his sinuses.

“Thank you.” Eddie uttered, with a groan of relief.

Dislodging the mounting congestion did, however, make that itch a bit stronger.

“Huh-GNT! H-huh.. hh.. Hi-ptCHxt! Jesus Christ.”

“Jesus Christ is right.” Steve was exhausted just watching the guy. That had to hurt. One hand on his hip, the other raised and clapping Eddie on the back sympathetically. “I mean- shit, Munson. That’s some allergy.”

“You should see me when ragweed happens.” Eddie gave a cock of an eyebrow and a smirk. He rotated to make eye contact with Steve, handkerchief still pressed tightly against his sore nose.

“When ragweed happens?” Steve chuckled, raising an eyebrow back.

“Oh, it happens alright. Catastrophic. Nuclear, some would say.” Eddie folded the handkerchief in half, pushing and prodding gently at his nose with the corner. God, his smile. Steve could see now that the handkerchief was out of the way. There was something so real about it. If he were having a legitimate allergy attack, there wouldn’t be a genuine smile on his face. And yet, Eddie’s eyes didn’t betray him. He was somehow genuinely smiling, still. Well, until his face crumbled once again. Steve watched intently as his smile faded only slightly. Eyes fluttering, and nose twitching, Eddie turned over his shoulder away from Steve.

“HIH-xncht!” Caught in his elbow this time. Eddie flinched. Steve mumbled a blessing that oozed pity.

Eddie made direct eye contact with Steve, slightly taken aback by the fact that the other man seemed to be peering into his soul. He paused for a moment, and for the first time ever, Steve saw a hint of vulnerability seeping through the well-built facade of Eddie Munson.

“Sorry about this, man…” Eddie gave a soft smile that could only signify embarrassment. He gave a quick rub to his nose, and broke eye contact. He looked defeated. Steve felt a pang in heart. Poor thing.

Steve’s eyebrows knit together as he frowned, and gently shook his head.

“Don’t be sorry. I feel for you, man, really. That sounds like it hurts.” He meant that, truly. Steve couldn’t begin to imagine what Eddie was going through. He was burning the candle at both ends.

“Hixt-choo!” Eddie muffled a stifle into the handkerchief, groaning as if to prove Steve’s point.

“Bless you.” Steve was sure to say that this time. Any ounce of comfort he could offer to the struggling musician, he would. “You know, if you didn’t hold them back like that, they probably wouldn’t hurt so much...”

“Hih-ngtch!”

Eddie stifled another sneeze into his elbow, almost as if it were a response. Steve shot him a look of exasperation. Eddie shrugged in apology.

“Force of habit.” That was met with a small tilt of the head from Steve. Eddie didn’t continue. Steve didn’t push.

“Maybe I should see if Robin or Nance can grab some meds for you or something?” Steve offered.

“I would hate to put a dent in the mission… huh.. Huh-chiew!”

“Better.” Steve made eye contact with Eddie as he brought his face out of the handkerchief, noting that he hadn’t stifled this time. “…and bless you.”

“Don’t look so worried, Harrington.” Eddie began, in an attempt to ease Steve. He really did seem worried.

“Eddie.” Steve interjected softly. He spoke slowly and carefully. “Just let me help you, man… haven’t the past couple days been hard enough?”

Eddie wavered, staring into Steve’s worried gaze for a couple too many seconds. He chuckled, which made Steve raise an eyebrow. Eddie laughed harder at that.

“I’m serious, man. You’ve gotta calm this down before it gets worse.” Steve insisted, partially frustrated at Eddie’s stubbornness.

“No, no, sorry. It’s just, I never would have guessed. I mean, never would have guessed…” Eddie swiped at his nose, and grinned brightly. “Steve Harrington and I would be having a conversation. Let alone, one so… tender.”

There it was. That smirk. Steve couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Yeah, yeah.” Steve crossed his arms and murmured. “Don’t get used to it, Munson.” The smirk remained.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, pretty boy.” Eddie winked and continued as he walked away from Steve, still facing him. “In the meantime, I’d rather die than stay in this mother-fucking dustbin of a shed. I’m going to get some fresh air, and you’re going to let me for at least a couple of seconds before you drag me back in here-“

Eddie punctuated that sentence with rapid delivery and quickly sprinted out of the shed before Steve could stop him. Rather than going after him immediately, the brunette simply chuckled. He deserved a minute or two of sunshine. In the meantime, he pulled the walkie out of his pocket and to his mouth. Steve cleared his throat.

“Nance. Do you copy?”

“We copy, Steve. Over.” Dustin’s voice peered through shortly thereafter.

“Hey, man. Do me a favor, and grab me some Claritin? High strength, if they have it. The dust here is killing me…” A pause rang out before Steve rolled his eyes. “Over.”

“Copy that. Claritin, high strength. Over and out.”

“Thanks. Out.”

Steve retracted the antenna and spun the walkie-talkie in his hand with a satisfied smile. Hooking the device on his belt, he took a deep breath, and prepared to wrangle Eddie Munson. Always the goddamn babysitter.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad, after all.

[comfortqueenie]

how the hell do i get people to read my stuff if i start posting??

test, test- is this thing on? 🫣