Part 37 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Ao3
Playlist
2793 words
Eddie has never really considered himself a jealous person before now. He’s never had a boyfriend or anyone to be jealous over, except Nancy and- okay, maybe he’s just jealous in regards to Steve and Steve alone. Steve is definitely a reason to be jealous, he thinks. The only reason he needs.
Because yeah- Steve likes men, and clearly cares for Eddie- and missed him, and all that amazing shit, but he is also in love with some mystery man who stole his heart before Eddie was smart enough to catch onto the fact that he had a chance. Years of waiting and wanting and some fucker came and snatched Steve up! Eddie feels like that damn rabbit who lost to the fucking turtle.
He thinks about this with a scowl as he angrily brushes his teeth, chewing on the bristles, cursing out his reflection. What a dumbass. Don’t you see what you could have had!?
He spits into the sink.
Idiot.
He glares at himself.
Fucking moron.
A knock on the door. “Eddie?”
Eddie lights up instantly, spinning around as quickly as his crutches allow. He swings open the door, leaning against the frame with what he hopes is an easy smile as Steve blinks at him in slight surprise. “Hey, Harrington.” God, he feels so dumb right now. Probably looks it, too. He wipes quickly at the toothpaste stuck on the corner of his mouth. Steve’s expression twitches momentarily and Eddie has the mortifying thought that Steve is about to comment on it.
“You okay in there?” Steve asks instead, glancing around Eddie to look at the still running sink. “You’ve been brushing your teeth for like- an hour.”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration, Stevie.” Another new thing that came along with forgiveness was this layered nickname. Eddie hopes Steve realizes it’s a mix between Ozzy and his name and not just something dumb Eddie threw together, but the adorable idiot still hasn’t seemed to figure it out. “It’s been at max ten minutes.”
Steve rolls his eyes, arms crossing in front of his chest, tightening the shirt. Hello, sailor. “Your gums are bleeding.”
“They are not.” Eddie protests, poking at his gums with his tongue and cringing when he tastes copper. “Fucking bloodhound.”
Steve’s mouth lifts into a smile and Eddie fights off the urge to beam, or do something stupid like kiss him. He really wants to kiss him. “The others will be here in a few hours.” Eddie nods, not moving. Steve narrows his eyes at him, his beautiful bitchy attitude back now that Eddie has stopped all hostility. “If the kids complain about your smell I’m not taking the fall for it.”
“I’m so blaming it on you.” Eddie grins, practically purring as he angles into Steve’s space. The faintest hint of vanilla wafts into Eddie’s nose, Steve’s shampoo a forever constant comfort. “Tell them you’re still not letting me shower and everything.”
Steve rolls his eyes. “The second you can stand without those things-” He taps the edge of Eddie’s right crutch and Eddie has to actively blink away his flash of jealousy at his mobility aid. “-then maybe I’ll allow it, you big baby.”
“Not even a bath?” Eddie makes his eyes all big and round, as innocent as can be. Steve gives him a look. “Or am I forever doomed to sponges against my delicate, scarred skin?”
“And if you fall while stepping out?” Steve counters and momentarily Eddie understands why Steve annoyed him so much when he oh so stupidly hated him. A flash of guilt spikes through him at the memory of him pushing Steve away so hard when he had offered to help Eddie the first sponge bath that Steve had nearly fallen- and the annoyance leaves instantly.
Eddie gets an idea then, a beautifully insane idea that will probably make a mess of things, but- Steve raises his eyebrows at Eddie’s slow smile, waiting for his answer- an idea that gives Eddie a chance.
“Well then, big boy, I guess you’d just have to catch me.”
If this mystery guy thinks he can take Eddie’s Steve, the Steve who’s been his best friend for most of his life and also the man of his dreams, wet and dry alike, then he’s got a hell of a wake up call coming to him. Because if he’s going to fight he’s going to fucking win. And the surprise on Steve’s face is just enough to let Eddie believe that this is his smartest idea yet.
This is his dumbest idea yet.
Like- astronomically dumb.
Like, considering crawling back into the grave from sheer mortification dumb.
“How do you want me to help?” Steve asks him, flicking the water he has finally deemed warm enough off his hand and turning to face Eddie who stands awkwardly in just one of Steve’s mom’s robes- his clothes kicked to the side.
“Um.” Eddie says intelligently, blinking around the heat burning his skin. “I can get in by myself.”
“Eddie, if you fall and get hurt I’m drowning you, myself.”
That doesn’t help at all. “Comforting.”
Eddie stands there for a few seconds more, looking between the water, the robe, and Steve. Steve who has always had a bit of a staring problem, Steve who has most likely seen Eddie undressed before, Steve who Eddie is in love with. Steve who- yeah, he’s fucked.
The corner of Steve’s lips twists up, a teasing thing that makes Eddie want to scream. “Need a hand?”
“Fuck off.” Eddie grumbles, feeling as if his ears are about to burn off as he hands a crutch to Steve to begin shrugging off the robe. He expects Steve to wait patiently for the other one, not for him to stand up and balance Eddie himself as the robe drops fully.
Well.
Steve’s eyes glance down at Eddie’s naked frame.
Shit.
They stay that way for a second, Steve’s warm hands slightly too tight on his arms, Eddie trying his hardest not to combust on the spot, but then that second is over and Steve is clearing his throat. “C’mon.”
Eddie nods, letting Steve half-walk/half-carry him to the tub, those warm hands sliding to his ribcage as he steps in. The skin they leave behind once he’s settled in the water tingles with a want for more.
He fights the urge to drown himself.
“Do you want bubbles?”
Eddie blinks, turning his attention to a slightly red Steve. “What?”
“Bubbles? Like- soap? My mom left some of her bubble bath stuff last time she was here.”
“You trying to give me a bubble bath, Harrington?" Eddie can’t help but laugh, but it comes out a bit hysterical more than anything. Steve’s cheeks are a bit pink as he nods, shoulders pitching up.
“They’re soothing.”
And, yeah- while finding Steve to be downright adorable is usually great and all, it’s not that fun while being completely naked and half drenched. So instead of further teasing Eddie just nods, sinking down into the water in hopes that it will hide his groan of frustration as Steve turns to grab his mother’s bubble bath. He watches Steve from where only his eyes are above the water, watches the smooth pull of his shirt over his back, his rolled up sleeves emphasizing the flex of his forearms- his bright brown eyes when he turns back to Eddie. The small smile on his lips that has Eddie sinking fully down, Steve’s laughter muffled in his ears.
He’s so screwed.
“Shit- ow.” Eddie hisses, dropping his hand from where he was trying to reach his back, the soap bar he was holding bobbing in the mass of bubbles Steve had made for him. He glares at it, swiping out his hand and fighting off several curses when it squeezes from right between his fingers and half-away across the comically large tub.
A muffled snort.
“Oh, shut it.” Eddie snaps back, red faced as Steve doesn’t look up from where he was reading a comic on the floor next to the bath, half ignoring Eddie as he raises an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth into a mocking little smirk- the fucker.
Eddie debates dunking the suds on top of Steve’s head as the other flips to a new page, a content little hum falling from his evil pretty lips.
Steve soaked and with him in the bath.
Okay! Maybe not!
“You okay, man?”
“Great!” Eddie snatches up the soap. “I’m great!”
“You sure?” He risks a glance over at Steve who is now fully turned around, eyebrows furrowed in concern, eyes tracing the scars on Eddie’s skin. “Do you-”
Eddie flicks him with water out of pure instinct and pure instinct alone, fighting off the urge to submerge himself in the water for life as he watches the suds land on the edge of Steve’s nose and all in hair. Steve blinks, once- twice.
“Alright, that’s it.” Eddie squawks slightly as Steve stands up. “Scoot forward.”
“I- Steve!” Eddie can’t help but flounder, watching as Steve rips off his shirt.
“You’re taking way too long.” Steve ignores him, shucking off his socks. “The kids will be here soon.” His belt. “And I know you know how long it takes me to get the swoop right!” Eddie full on whimpers as Steve unzips his pants. “So don’t be a baby and let me help instead of hurting yourself via rubber ducky.”
“A soap bar is nothing like a rubber ducky.” Eddie croaks, trying to regain some dignity as Steve taps his bare shoulders, making him scoot toward.
“Munson.”
“Steve.” Eddie laughs in quiet hysteria as he feels the water behind him shift and rise.
“Shut up.”
Warm thighs on either side of his bare hips. “Okay.”
Behind him Steve freezes, the water beginning to settle around them. Eddie stays deadly still, fists clamped over his knees as he prays to every D&D god he can think of for some kind of saving throw to get him through this. A warm breath over his shoulder, a hand following in its wake.
Eddie can’t help but jump.
“Is-” Steve begins, halting. “Is this okay?”
Is this okay? Is this okay! Is he serious?!
Eddie’s heart hammers in his throat, mind and body at war with just how much he wants this, how much he wants this to mean more than- than whatever this means. Because Eddie isn’t dumb, whatever Higgins likes to believe- he isn’t a complete moron. He knows this isn’t something best guy friends do. But he and Steve have always been more than that and- and-
“Eddie?”
“Yeah- uh- it’s okay.”
The hand relaxes on his shoulder. “You sure?”
Eddie relaxes the best he can into the touch. “Yeah.”
He can practically hear Steve’s smile in his responding “okay.”
Maybe it doesn’t matter what this is, not now that Steve’s hands are reaching around Eddie’s front to grab the bar, his warm skin leaving tingles in its path. Not now that Steve is slowly massaging the soap into his skin, strong presses of fingers and thumbs over the aches that have yet to leave him. Eddie lets his eyes slip close, head lolling to the side as Steve’s fingers find his shoulder blade.
He can hear Steve laugh, smiles with it as small groans fall from his lips. “How are you so good at this?”
The water sloshes as if Steve had shrugged but then, probably upon realizing Eddie couldn’t see Steve answers with. “I just know you.”
And if that isn’t going to fuck with Eddie’s thoughts for the next five years he doesn’t know what will.
But he merely hums in response for now.
Those fingers trail around his neck, gentler there, pressing soft against his pulse point, over his bones, and back down his spine to his hips. He’s glad to be facing away from Steve for this part, as Steve’s strong hands trail up and down his sides for the sole purpose of cleaning him- counting ribs, counting scars. For a fearful moment Eddie is worried Steve is about to ask him to turn around so he can clean his front but he doesn’t, merely soaping up his hand and rubbing it from Eddie’s shoulder down his sternum, his front pressed closer to Eddie’s back.
His hand slows with each stuttered breath Eddie takes in. He wonders if Steve can feel his heart.
“You know it was never you, right?.” Steve whispers, breaking the haze Eddie had fallen into.
“What?”
“The uh- the reason I haven’t shown you Ozzy.” Steve’s fingers trail over Eddie’s upper stomach, the pads pressing in with Eddie’s sharp inhale. “I mean, it is but it isn’t.”
“Steve…”
Steve hands fall away from his body, instead now going to his hair, carefully wetting it. “When we were kids you were the only thing that mattered to me.” Eddie forces his eyes to stay open as Steve begins to rub in his vanilla scented shampoo. “But my mom is the only one like me in my family and- well, you know how my family is.”
“She told you not to hang out with someone like me.”
“Yeah.”
“Because I’m poor?”
“Because you didn’t run from the sight of me.”
Eddie blinks, confused. Steve cups clean water into his hair.
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m dangerous, Eddie.” Steve says, no infliction at all in his voice. No grief, no fear, just… belief. Understanding. Eddie turns around, uncaring that he’s naked and Steve is nearly, uncaring how compromising this is.
“No. You’re not.”
Steve gives him a sad smile. “I don’t even shift in front of the others, the kids, Robin, anyone.”
“But they all know.”
“Yeah.” Steve nods. “They do.”
“Then-”
“It’s easier to keep them safe, to keep you safe, with it- with me being… dangerous.”
“You were never dangerous.”
“I almost killed that kid, the day I ran away. I nearly killed him.”
Eddie blinks, emotions he’s felt for as long as it feels he’s lived flaring through him. “I don’t care.”
Steve looks away from him, focuses on grabbing the conditioner instead.
“Steve. I don’t care.”
Bright brown eyes whip back to him. “You should.”
“No.” Eddie holds his ground. “Not when you’re wrong.”
“Eddie-”
“No- shut the hell up for a second! You’re not dangerous! You were never dangerous.” Eddie grips Steve’s wrists, stopping him from ignoring him. “You were my best friend and you saved me.”
“Ed-”
“You broke my heart when you left me. I searched for you for years! And you’re telling me that I went through all of that bullshit pain because your mommy convinced you that you’re dangerous?”
Steve’s face screws up. “And if it had been you?”
“What do you mean?”
“If I had hurt you?”
“You wouldn’t have.”
“I could have.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t.” Eddie’s all in Steve’s face now, his hands still trapped in Eddie’s iron grip. “You didn’t. Because you’re not dangerous, you’re just you. A giant fucking teddy bear of a man-wolf-whatever and my best friend. My best friend who is being an idiot. And I can’t believe you left me over something so fucking stupid!”
“It’s not stupid.”
“It is!” Eddie releases Steve’s wrists, grabbing at his face instead. “It is, Steve.”
Steve blinks at him, eyes dancing all over his face. If Eddie wasn’t so angry he’d have noticed just how long Steve had looked at his lips.
“Why didn’t you ever try being my friend like this?”
Steve’s eyes go back to his. “Not as a wolf?”
Eddie nods.
“You hated me.” Steve gives a dry laugh, rolling his eyes. “Do you not remember? I tried to be your friend but-”
“I was kind of a dick wasn’t I?”
“Kind of?”
Eddie can feel color rising in his face. “Okay, Jesus- point take-”
He's cut off by a hug.
Warm arms capturing him in an inescapable embrace. He’s-
“I’m sorry.”
Eddie sucks in a breath, those two simple words washing over him, flooding him, drowning him.
And as his hands slowly fall down to Steve’s sides, fingers gliding across wet skin to interlock against Steve’s back his shuttered exhale is mirrored in perfect harmony by the one who now holds him tighter, firmer, steady. Steve’s nose rubs over his pulse point as saltwater tears begin to dampen Eddie’s skin. But Eddie doesn’t care, not now that his own eyes finally feel dry. Not now that his own soul finally feels complete.
“It’s okay.” Eddie’s whispers. Fingers trailing up into Steve’s hair to hold him firmer. “I’ve already forgiven you.”
Steve shakes his head, his half-damp hair tickling Eddie’s chin. A smile pressed against his jaw. “I know, I’m sorry. I know.”
I know with Damian revealing that he volunteers at the hospital has made a lot of people want to see him growing up to be a doctor, which is good.. great even!
But isn’t that just continuing another legacy? Both of his Grandfather’s were Doctors, and while I agree with wanting to see him branch out from being a vigilante, wouldn’t it be better for him to make his own path and pursue something that has nothing to do with his family, that solely brings HIM joy.
What I really want to see is Damian become THE NEPO BABY. I mean he has access to two fortunes, I want to see him take advantage of that and work on his art. Maybe becoming an animator or even a musician! I want to see him be his own person and have his own life outside of what his parents forced him into.
So like, I’m trying to find a damn comic where Batman/Bruce has even said that Dick is his favorite, and I’m very very invested in this shit, so much that I FUCKING FOUND SOMETHING, it’s not like, an actually confession, BUT IT’S SOMETHING OKAYYYY???
My dear beloved Dicky asked Bruce why he recruited Jason and first he told the story of the stolen tires, then the thingy about seeing himself in the anger of Jason after his parents were murdered. Aaaaand this was the third explanation.
Yoo, love your work, but if you don't mind asking, which version of Robin have you been drawing? (Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, etc)
ive never read any of the comics and dont know the difference. in my head his irl name is robin and he was just really uncreative with his superhero name
