That's weird, Eddie thought to himself as he pulled into the driveway. Steve's car wasn't there. Maybe he had stayed late at the school? But Eddie didn't remember him mentioning any work he had to catch up on. And it wasn't parent-teacher meeting season yet either. Maybe he had gone out with other teachers for a drink after work? Eddie would have to check the machine to see if Steve left a message.
The house was quiet and dark as he slipped through the door. He toed off his shoes and made his way towards the kitchen. The light on the answering machine was decidedly not blinking. It made Eddie pause and frown. It was rare for Steve to go out without leaving some kind of message. Maybe he had just forgotten. Eddie sighed through the pang of annoyance and tried not to think too hard about it. Instead, he grabbed a beer from the fridge and shuffled towards the living room. He switched the light on and was almost startled when a deep groan sounded from the couch.
“Oh, there you are,” Eddie breathed as he flicked the light back off.
Steve let out a little relieved sigh as the room plunged back into shadows. He was face down on the couch. Still in his work clothes. Still in his shoes. As if he had arrived home and immediately collapsed.
“Migraine?” Eddie asked lightly as he set his can on the coffee table.
“Mmmphfmm,” Steve's voice muffled against the cushions.
Eddie knelt down near the end of the couch, taking Steve’s left foot in his hands and gently loosening the laces of his shoe.
“Robin drive you home?” he asked as he slid Steve’s sneaker off.
Steve gave the smallest of nods as Eddie reached over for his other foot.
“She’s the best,” Steve murmured.
“Yeah, she’s pretty great,” Eddie smiled as he set the second shoe on the floor beside the first. He knew how much energy it took for Steve to talk while he had a migraine like this and he found it incredibly endearing that he still took the effort to compliment Robin.
“Do you want your jacket off?”
Steve didn’t say anything, but lifted his arm weakly in response. Eddie took the invitation and gently tugged at the sleeve. He shrugged the coat off of Steve’s shoulders and set it on the floor by his shoes.
“Jeans?” Eddie asked next.
Once again, Steve didn’t say anything, but he slowly reached under himself to undo the button and zipper of his pants. Eddie stood and grabbed a blanket from the basket they kept in the corner of the room. Then he helped Steve shimmy his jeans down his legs and draped the blanket over his boyfriend.
Eddie sat himself on the floor by Steve’s head. Steve shifted slightly, turning his face so that it was a little more towards Eddie and a little less smashed into the couch. He kept his eyes closed.
“Sorry,” he whispered, “I haven’t started dinner yet.”
Eddie just shushed him gently and reached a hand up to card through his hair. Steve let out a soft sigh at the touch.
“It’s a bad one, isn’t it?” Eddie asked as he continued to run his fingers across Steve’s scalp.
Steve’s expression pinched as he gave a small nod.
“Hurts,” he replied quietly.
“I’m sorry baby,” Eddie leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Steve’s temple.
“It’s okay,” Steve sighed, “better now. Always better with you.”
“Good, I’m not going anywhere.”
