No sneezing in this part unfortunately because I couldn’t figure out where to fit it in...honestly I wasn’t expecting this fic to get this long, lol. Anyway there will be another part to this!!!
Hopefully someone enjoys reading it because it was fun to write!!!
Steve knew that he should have called out of work this morning.
He’d spent a good ten minutes staring at the phone trying to gauge whether he was sick enough to call out, when he was startled out of his daze when it began to ring.
Picking up the receiver, Steve wasn’t all too shocked to find Robin on the other end, he was already at least ten minutes late picking her up for work. He was shocked to hear that she sounded like crap.
By the end of the conversation, Steve had made up his mind that Robin sounded much worse than he felt and that he would be covering her shift.
It meant doing a double shift but nothing he couldn’t handle by himself. That was almost two hours ago.
His whole head felt entirely too hot, and he wished some of that heat would transfer to the rest of his body as a sharp chill ran down his spine tugging his flimsy cotton jacket around him.
It wasn’t nearly warm enough for the weather outside, but Steve couldn’t remember which kid he’d lent his good jacket to last. He figured it would last him until he made it to Family Video.
What Keith had failed to mention this morning when he’d called and told him he’d be covering Robin's shift was that the heating was out. So when he walked in this morning he was greeted by a piece of paper shoved into his hands with instructions to figure it out.
Now here Steve was leaned over the counter at family movie with his face pressed into his hands as if it would ease the pressure of the congestion he could feel building in his sinuses.
He’d been on the phone with the heating company for nearly a half an hour, going round and round with them about whether or not they could send someone to fix the heating. After the second time being put on hold, Steve is ready to just give up.
He wanted to sit down where he was standing and just cry, when he heard someone enter the store.
Straightening up he tried his best to look like he wasn’t ready to have a complete mental breakdown in the middle of his crappy job. His posture relaxed a little when he saw it was just Eddie.
Waving at the other man, he watched Eddie open his mouth to say something before thinking better of it when he realized Steve was on the phone.
Instead he hoisted himself up sitting on the counter, for once waiting patiently for Steve to get off the phone.
“I’m on hold.” Steve croaked gesturing to the receiver, clearing his throat with a wince.
Eddie takes this as an invitation to start up a conversation. “I hope it’s with someone interesting.” He says with a cheeky little grin that makes Steve's heart do a backflip.
“With the heating company,” Steve rolled his eyes at the implication that he'd be using the work phone for that, “but if that’s what you consider interesting, then who am I to judge?”
“I was wondering why it felt like an icebox in here,” Eddie complained shivering as he pulled his jacket tighter around his shoulders, “I think it’s colder in here than out there, bet you I can see my breath.”
Steve watched as Eddie blew a breath of air out of his mouth coming out in a puff of steam from his lips. For a minute he found himself mesmerized watching him.
A voice on the other line drew his attention away though, so he pressed a finger to his lips silencing the other man.
He talked with them for a minute using his best customer service voice, but the longer they talked the more quickly he deflated. Realizing that the heating wouldn’t be getting fixed any time soon.
“Alright…I understand…thank you…” Steve said, before handing up resisting the urge to slam down the phone. He ground the heel of his palm into his eye socket groaning.
“I take it the phone call didn’t go over all that well,” Eddie winced, watching a slight tremor run through Steve's lean frame,“Jesus Harrington, don’t you have a warmer jacket.”
“Leant it to one of the kids, can’t remember which one…probably Dustin…” Steve explained, looking up at Eddie who was already shrugging off his jacket, “hey nooo, don’t do that.”
“Just shut up for a second, okay, “ Eddie said, sliding off the counter so he was on the same side as Steve, “let someone else take care of you for once.”
He slid his leather jacket over Steve’s shoulders, watching as the other man carefully slid his arms into his jacket.
“Aren’t you going to get cold now?” He asked.
“I appreciate the concern but I think I’ll live with just a sweatshirt,” Eddie poked fun at his concern, “and unlike you I own more than one winter coat.”
Steve huffed rolling his eyes, but he practically sunk into the jacket grateful for the extra warmth, the leather still warm from Eddie's own body heat.
“Now point me in the direction of your heater, I’ll take a look at it for you,” Eddie told him earning a raised eyebrow from the other boy, “come on I can’t make it worst can I, can’t risk letting my friends at Family video turn into popsicles…where is Robin by the way?”
“Out sick…”Steve told him, pulling out an old tool kit that looked like it’s seen better days before leading him in the direction of their heating unit, “I’m covering her shifts today.”
“I hate to break it to you Harrington,” Eddie started, looking Steve over with his eyes, “but you're not sounding too hot yourself, big boy.”
Steve felt his face heat up, as his brain felt like it was short circuiting. “S’just a cold, I’ll live…”He finally manages to choke out, watching Eddie open up the unit.
“If you say so…”Eddie mumbles, most of his attention focused on the heating unit.
