Chapter Text
Steve would never again take for granted human hands.
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t appreciated them before, but perhaps he hadn’t recognized their full value.
But now, when he couldn’t do anything he used to do with his human hands, he felt a lot more powerless.
The real kicker about getting cursed like this was that he didn’t even do anything wrong. In the stories, when people got turned into animals, usually it was because they were being an asshole and some Fey was trying to teach them a lesson, or someone had warned the person explicitly not to do something and they did it anyway. But Steve had just been walking home from the market, sticking to the paths and everything, when he’d been attacked by a colony of bats. He’d survived, but overnight, he’d been changed. Now he was a bat, and alone, and he couldn’t even talk to anyone to ask for help.
Being a bat was hard. Of course, there was the aforementioned hand problem. The best Steve had was hand-like claws at the end of his wings, which he could maneuver to some degree, but it was awkward that he couldn’t do so without moving his wings. Actually, having to figure out an entirely new, albeit small, body was insanely difficult. Not that being small was any real benefit either. Steve had no real defenses in this form, and he was a lone, solitary bat - he was an easy target.
Initially, Steve had tried to go home. After his mother died, his father had remarried almost at the end of the traditional mourning period and had bought him and his wife a new house, and let Steve stay in the old home. They almost never came by. But they were there when Steve got home, and his father chased him out after hearing his stepmother’s screams. Steve had fled in a panic, and had found a tree to cling to unsteadily while he caught his breath.
Which was the current source of Steve’s frustrations with bat hands.
🦇🎵
Once Steve had caught his breath, then came the next issue: figuring out a different answer as to where he was other than “completely lost” and finding a safe place to be until he had a next move. So for the past few days, Steve had been flying around, trying to figure out how to take care of himself and find someplace safe and warm. So far, tonight the results had been discouraging. Wait, was that a-
THWACK!
No, it was a window, apparently.
Next thing he knew, he was sprawled ungracefully in the dirt, dazed and confused.
He was still there a few minutes later when suddenly someone was looming over him. “Oh shit, it’s still alive! That was a hard hit you took there, little one. Didn’t see my window?”
The man was young, maybe around Steve’s age, with dark curly hair and simple but distinctive clothes.
“Oh yeah, no, I love ramming into things for fun,” Steve quipped sarcastically, but all the guy heard was squeaks and chirps.
“Must have been pretty upsetting, huh? Or maybe you’re hurt?” The man said, before he squatted to carefully scoop Steve into his arms. “It’s okay, I’ve got you, little one,” said the man as he stood and went inside.
The noise was easily identifiable to Steve as a tavern winding down for the night. He had been in enough to know. The man cradled Steve close to his chest, seemingly keeping Steve at least somewhat hidden as he passed by the tavern portion of the building and entered the inn portion, eventually entering an inn room. Ah, so this was an inn guest, rather than involved in innkeeping.
“And here’s my space for the night,” said the man. “It’s not much, sometimes it’s like they give bards the worst or smallest room as payment, but it’s warmer than outside, huh?”
“Definitely better,” Steve agreed. Again, his words sounded like bat noises, not the actual words Steve was trying to say.
“Yeah, you’re right, at least I’ve got a room,” said the man. “Some gigs they can’t even give me a place to stay.”
And then the bard took off his scarf and wrapped it around Steve before placing the bundle of bat near the fireplace. “Hope that’s okay. I’ll be back.”
Steve certainly had no complaints. In fact, he actually shifted his scarf bundle a little closer to the fire.
There was more shuffling around the room and connected bathroom, but Steve didn’t pay attention to the noises, preferring to soak up the warmth of the fire.
When the bard returned, he flopped down in front of the fire near Steve in sleepwear. “Kind of surprised you haven’t tried to escape yet. Feeling cozy?”
“I’m comfy,” Steve replied.
“I swear it’s like you’re actually responding to me,” said the bard, laughing. Steve was glad to have made him laugh, it was a nice laugh. “I suppose I should introduce myself, I’m Eddie Munson.”
“Steve,” he replied, even though he knew Eddie couldn’t understand him.
Laughing again, Eddie said, “Sorry, little one, if that was a name, that didn’t translate. I’ll just have to keep calling you little one.”
Steve rolled his eyes at himself.
“Must either be a late night or a lot to drink, I swear I thought I saw you roll your eyes at me,” said Eddie.
“Not at you,” Steve replied.
“You’re a chatty little batty, aren’t you?” said Eddie fondly. “Bats have colonies, right? Must be rough without your family. I definitely feel a little lonely on the road sometimes. It’s been nice to have a friend tonight.” Eddie stretched. “You can stay there if you want, and I’ll crack the window in case you’re ready to go, but I’m ready for sleep. Goodnight, little one.”
Steve remained firmly in his scarf nest, and watched as Eddie walked off, cracked the window open, and clambered into his bed. He knew Eddie still thought Steve was a wild animal, but Steve had no intention of leaving. Even with a dying fire, Steve was warmer and safer than he’d been in days.
🦇🎵
The next morning, Steve and Eddie woke around the same time, which meant that Steve got the chance to see Eddie’s expression of shock and joy. “You’re still here?”
“Good morning!” Steve replied.
Good morning to you too,” Eddie responded with a snort. “At least I know for sure you’re not a dream or a drunken imagining.”
At first, Steve was a little miffed, but then, if the situation was reversed, Steve would doubt himself if he thought a random animal was responding to everything he said. So he just slowly eased his wings out of the scarf nest and stretched before settling back in.
“You’re fond of the scarf, huh? You know I’m gonna need that back eventually, right?” Eddie asked amusedly.
“Five more minutes?” Steve bargained, sinking deeper into the softness.
Shaking his head, Eddie said, “Somehow, I know that would have been you asking me for more time if you could talk. I suppose I can put it off for a few more minutes.”
Instead of disturbing Steve, Eddie got out of bed to wash up and get dressed and packed. Once again, Steve noted that Eddie’s clothes were middle-class quality at best, but they were clearly made and/or chosen to be eye-catching. Steve supposed that made sense for a bard, as they literally thrived off attention.
…What was Steve going to do now? He still had nowhere to go. Not much had changed for Steve’s situation, but he had run into someone who was kind to him. It was initially a surprise for Steve that he’d really like to stay with Eddie, but then again, no it wasn’t. Sue Steve for wanting kindness and companionship.
Steve saw his opportunity when he noticed among Eddie’s belongings was a small shoulder bag. Maybe he could hitch a ride for a while. So, when Eddie finally approached the fireplace, Steve eased himself out from the scarf and sneakily flew right to the bag, tucking himself in to go back to sleep.
“Well, that was easier than I thought it would be,” said Eddie in surprise.
Settling down for a nap, Steve was thinking the same thing.
🦇🎵
The gentle swaying of the bag as Eddie moved had lulled Steve to sleep to the point that when the swaying stopped, it roused Steve.
There were only a few moments to get his bearings before the bag opened.
The first thing Steve saw was the blue sky. Then it was blocked out by Eddie’s shocked face, his hair hanging around him and falling down like a curtain.
“Oh, it’s you!” said Eddie. Then he blinked. “You little stowaway! Have you been in there the whole time?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” Steve replied.
“You are completely unrepentant, aren’t you, little one?” said Eddie amusedly.
Well… he was, but it was hard to tell whether Eddie was content or annoyed by this. So Steve just blinked at Eddie.
“Well, I was looking for my lunch in here, and lucky for me, it seems you haven’t eaten it,” said Eddie. “Perhaps you’d like to join me out here and stretch your wings?”
Steve considered Eddie’s words, and then eased himself out of the satchel. He flew up only to hover around Eddie’s head as the bard parsed through the bag for his lunch. When the bard settled down to eat, Steve realized his own hunger and looked around the area while still keeping Eddie in his sights. There were a few berries here and there, but not much.
“Slim pickings?” Eddie asked sympathetically as Steve landed to perch on the stump that Eddie had set his bag on, next to the rock Eddie himself was using as a chair.
“Unfortunately,” said Steve, looking mournfully at Eddie’s lunch. It wasn’t much - dried fruit, cheese, jerky - but Steve could kill for human food. Not Eddie, but definitely someone he disliked.
Eddie muttered something to himself, but then he held out a piece of dried fruit to Steve. “This to your liking, little one?”
Gingerly, Steve reached out and took it from Eddie and munched it all. That one piece of fruit did a lot more for Steve than all the berries he just had combined.
“That’s better, eh?” said Eddie, watching Steve with a grin.
“Trust me, you have no idea,” said Steve.
“I hope that was a thanks, rather than a critique, little stowaway,” said Eddie, before holding out another piece. “You want one more?”
Steve took hold of the piece with his mouth, and then even more carefully walked his way up Eddie’s arm to his shoulder and started munching on the fruit once stably sat.
For his part, Eddie was frozen still. Then he turned his head slightly to look at Steve sideways without knocking Steve off. “You are not a normal bat, are you?”
Steve might as well tell the truth. So Steve shook his head.
“Did you just shake your head at me? As in a no?” Eddie asked.
Steve nodded.
“Say something if you can understand me,” Eddie ordered.
“You don’t have to be rude about it,” Steve griped.
It still only sounded like bat noises to Eddie, but his wide eyes told Steve that it must have made it click for Eddie regardless. “You understand me. You’ve been responding to me the whole time. You can just only speak bat.”
Steve nodded again.
“You don’t actually have a little bat family to be separated from, do you?” Eddie asked.
This time, Steve shook his head.
“...You’re not a vampire, are you?” came the next question.
He couldn’t help it. Steve laughed, although it just came out as chittering bat noises.
Giving him a disbelieving look, Eddie replied, “You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?”
Steve just kept laughing.
“I check on you after a fall, I give you a warm place to sleep, I give you fruit, and you just stow away in my bags and laugh at me,” said Eddie, complaining but seemingly good-naturedly. “I should leave you here.”
That shut Steve up, suddenly scared. Would Eddie really do that? Had Steve been too annoying or a burden?
Somehow, despite Steve currently being a bat, Eddie was able to pick up on Steve’s reaction. “Oh, hey, little one, it’s okay, I was teasing, I’m not actually going to leave you here. That would be awful of me, especially since you apparently slept all morning and have no idea where you are. I don’t know what your plans were or if you had any, but you can stay with me as long as you want, okay? Might have to smuggle you in places, but I won’t send you away or abandon you.”
To replace offering a hug, Steve carefully made his way over to Eddie’s neck, inside the curtain of hair, and basically bonked his little bat body into the side of Eddie’s neck.
“Okay, little one, your fur’s surprisingly soft but I feel like I’m gonna accidentally take you out with my jaw,” said Eddie, before he carefully picked Steve up and tucked him into a jacket pocket. “That okay?”
“Sure,” said Steve, not trying to escape.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” said Eddie. “Which is good, because it’s time to be moving along.”
With that, Eddie began packing away and picking up the rest of his things, and then he set off along the forest path again.
🦇🎵
Traveling with Eddie eventually began to become routine. The first few days were a bit awkward, not least because Eddie had lots of questions Steve couldn’t answer, and many of the establishments Eddie performed at were also places he had to sneak Steve into. But Steve and Eddie slowly figured out what worked for them.
At night, Steve would usually sleep either in a scarf nest or on the extra pillow in Eddie’s inn room, depending on whether Eddie got accommodation or not. During the day, they would travel and Eddie would perform. A few times, Eddie verified that it was safe for Steve to be out, but a lot of the time, Eddie would have to hide Steve, usually in his satchel or his coat. They also spent more time in markets, usually with Steve hidden in those places, or around Eddie’s neck just so Steve could experience it. Of course, once Steve realized that Eddie was spending extra money just on fruit and water for Steve, Steve tried just about anything to mitigate that cost: stealing, foraging, bringing lost/abandoned money to Eddie, and even once identifying someone from a wanted poster to Eddie so that he could collect a reward. It was the latter that made Eddie catch on to what Steve was doing and what Steve was worried about. But to Steve’s surprise, Eddie mostly just looked sad. “You don’t have to earn your keep or buy my love, little one.”
Steve hadn’t known how to react to that. Eddie kept Steve closer after that.
However, Steve wasn’t a perfectly kept secret. It went from occasionally being spotted slowly to Steve being accepted or tolerated as this one particular bard’s familiar - or maybe just an eccentric pet? As denigrating as it was to Steve, it made both of their lives far easier. A law protected familiar rights, saying that public places couldn’t ban familiars without a good reason, such as allergies or sanitary concerns or ability to fit inside. While Eddie never called Steve his familiar explicitly, usually just referring to Steve as his friend or companion, it was typically assumed that Steve was Eddie’s familiar, and so was treated so by others. It was not a bad lot in life, if he had to be stuck as a bat, as far as Steve was concerned.
While Steve hadn’t exactly been able to share much with Eddie, he himself had learned quite a bit about Eddie. Eddie was an orphan, but he was raised by an uncle whom he cared about deeply and sent gifts or money to occasionally. Eddie’s Uncle Wayne was a construction worker and also helped out during his farming village hometown’s harvests. Eddie’s father had been in the carriage-making business until Eddie’s mother died of an illness when Eddie was a child, and then Eddie’s father became a drunk and a carriage thief, and had been starting to use Eddie for jobs and teach him his tricks when Eddie finally ran away to live with his Uncle Wayne. Eddie’s mother had been the one to start teaching Eddie music, but a lot of what Eddie knew was self-taught. It was impressive to Steve, who had accomplished far less in much less humble beginnings. Eddie had a few close friends, and had had a few one-night-stands over the years, but he had never been popular and had yet to fall in love. He actually seemed skeptical that he would ever find someone to love, which made Steve sad when he heard it, and Steve had clung to Eddie for the rest of the night. Eddie simply cuddled Steve close and chuckled, “I guess I’ve got you too, my dear little bat.”
🦇🎵
Steve would still be happiest back in his human body, but he was starting to think it might not be so bad stuck as a bat as long as he had Eddie, when something happened that changed things.
They were at some tavern in some town, and Eddie was in between sets, when a young woman approached them. “Excuse me, may I have a moment?”
Eddie grinned at her charmingly. “I’ve got a moment or two to spare for a pretty face. What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Steve hadn’t really seen Eddie flirt much - charm, sure, but not flirt - but Steve could hardly blame him this time, the girl really was beautiful. Frowning internally, Steve hoped that Eddie wasn’t denying himself chances because of Steve. Especially not this girl who approached him first. She was dainty, and had beautiful blond curls pulled back into a braid and sparkling eyes.
“Oh, I’m Chrysanthemum Cunningham, but just call me Chrissy, everyone does,” said Chrissy. She had a slight blush, but Steve finally noticed the expression of concern was stronger. “I was just wondering, is the little bat there your familiar?”
“Nice to meet you, Chrissy, I’m Eddie, but, uh, why do you ask?” Eddie responded, raising an eyebrow.
Blushing further, Chrissy said, “I swear I’m not trying to be offensive, I know it’s a personal question, I just - I’m a bard too, a dancer, and this here’s my familiar, Robin-” she gestured at a songbird - a robin, actually - who flew first to Chrissy’s shoulder to give her a little nuzzle before flying up to the shelf Steve perched on to eye him analytically - “-yes, I know she’s a robin, she chose her name - so I know a bit about familiars, and I felt the magic around your little friend during your performance, and I think he’s been cursed.”
It was like her words flipped a switch in Eddie. His expression shifted and the charm left his voice, replaced with worry. “Cursed? What curse? How do you know?”
“I don’t know what kind of curse, I don’t really know anything about identifying magic or breaking curses, I can just detect magic, the same way bards like us can detect emotion,” Chrissy explained. “But my ex-fiancé paid somebody to curse Robin after I broke off the engagement, and your bat feels the same way Robin did when she was cursed.”
“How did you get the curse broken?” Eddie asked urgently.
“The head of the town militia, Sir Hopper, he’s got an adopted daughter who’s an actual mage. She’s like fourteen, so you’ll have to wait until morning to try to see Elaine, but she’s basically a magical prodigy. She broke the curse on Robin, for a fee, so she can probably help your familiar,” Chrissy replied soothingly.
“Thank you for the advice, really,” said Eddie emphatically. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah, he’s definitely cursed,” said Robin to the general group, before adding to Steve, “But it’ll be okay.” Steve was surprised he could understand her.
“Thanks,” said Steve in shock.
“Familiars gotta stick together,” said Robin, giving him an awkward pat with her wing. Before Steve could correct her, she had flown back to Chrissy’s shoulder.
Chrissy smiled gently at Eddie. “Of course! I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we did. I’m sure he’ll be just fine once his curse is removed.”
“Would you like to perform with me for the second set?” Eddie offered spontaneously.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your show,” Chrissy demurred.
“Nonsense! I rarely get the chance to play with other bards!” said Eddie excitedly. “It’d be an honor, honestly. I’ll split the second set’s earnings with you.”
So Chrissy danced along to Eddie’s second set, and Robin perched near Steve and sang. For the songs Robin didn’t know, she just provided a wordless birdsong harmony. But for some songs, she actually provided backup to Eddie in English.
Under applause, Steve asked her, “So they actually understand you?”
“Well, yeah, dingus,” said Robin. “Healthy familiars can speak - or sing - any languages their human can. I sing songs Chrissy dances to all the time. I know four languages.”
“Eddie and I mostly communicate in charades,” Steve admitted.
“Oh damn, you were Familiarized cursed?” Robin assumed sympathetically. “You’ll have a hell of a learning curve ahead of you when you’re better - but it’ll be okay. Who knows, maybe our humans will become friends, or I can convince Chrissy that we need to help you guys back on your feet.”
🦇🎵
Later, after the show was over, in their room for the night, Eddie held up Steve to look him in the eye. “Did you know you were cursed? Honesty please.”
Not knowing what else to do, Steve nodded.
“Is it the kind that spreads?” Eddie asked.
Not completely certain but fairly sure, Steve shook his head.
“Are you actually a familiar?” Eddie asked.
Steve shook his head.
“So the curse is why you’re not a normal bat?” Eddie surmised.
Steve nodded.
“You could have said something, you know,” said Eddie, holding him close now. It made Steve relieved that Eddie wasn’t abandoning him despite knowing (another part of) the truth.
Still, Steve gave Eddie the look that statement deserved.
“Oh,” said Eddie sheepishly, “you couldn’t because that’s part of the problem, isn’t it?”
“You’re a fucking genius,” said Steve sarcastically.
“Okay, I might not be able to speak back, but I’m pretty sure that’s at least sardonic,” said Eddie, huffing.
🦇🎵
In the morning, they went out in search of Elaine Hopper. Initially, Sir Hopper was a tough nut to crack, but after hearing that Chrissy had been the one to point them in the Hoppers’ direction, he allowed them to meet with Elaine. He brought them to a small back room of the local herbalist and apothecary shop, run by an extremely chill man with extraordinarily long hair they called Argyle.
A young girl looked up as they entered. She had brown curls and soulful brown eyes.
“El, this is Eddie Munson, he’s passing through town and he’s got a bit of a bat problem,” Hopper introduced.
Eddie stepped forward and held out Steve for her to see. “Hi - Elaine? El? Chrissy said you could help my little bat friend.”
The mage looked over them slowly. “If Chrissy sent you, then you are friends, and my friends call me El. It is a nickname. What seems to be the trouble, Eddie Munson?”
“Um… I don’t know,” said Eddie awkwardly. “I took him in about six months back - he’s not my familiar, he’s a stowaway really, but we’re friends now - and to my knowledge, he’s always been like this, but last night Chrissy told me she thinks she detected a curse on him, and through our limited ability to communicate, my friend confirmed it.”
“Well, there’s a place to start,” said El. “Can you set him down on the table please?”
Eddie slowly lowered him to the table, and Steve gently crawled out of Eddie’s hands and toward El.
“First, we’ll see if he can tell us what is wrong,” said El. She cast some kind of spell, and then she asked, “Can you speak, friend?”
“Speaking’s not the problem, being understood’s the problem,” Steve griped. But to his surprise, he didn’t hear the chittering and squeaks that usually accompanied his words - just his words.
“That must be frustrating,” said El sympathetically.
“Seriously!” said Steve. “There was this time a few days ago when Eddie over there was telling some random story and I spotted a pothole, so I interrupted to tell him ‘Hey, there’s a pothole’, and he just acts like I’ve responded to the story, completely ignores me, and then guess which idiot steps in a pothole and then has the gall to say ‘why didn’t you warn me about the pothole?’!”
“Ouch, little one, idiot’s a little harsh,” said Eddie, rubbing a finger along Steve’s head and spine. “Your voice is deeper than I expected.”
Steve turned to him in surprise. “Wait, you understood that?”
“I cast a spell that means everyone in the room can communicate,” El explained. “What is your name, friend?”
“Steve. Steven Harrington, but I prefer Steve,” Steve replied.
“Good,” El praised. “Can you tell me what happened to you, Steve Harrington?”
“I was walking home when I got mauled by this colony of demon bats. I should’ve bled out and died, but instead, I woke up as a bat - but like a regular bat, not a demon bat,” Steve summarized.
“Wait - you’re telling me you were a person?” Eddie said, surprised.
“I am a person,” Steve corrected. “Just because I have the body of a bat right now doesn’t mean I stopped being somebody.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry, Stevie,” said Eddie - ashamed?
“These… demon bats,” said El slowly, getting Steve’s attention again. “ They had tails? And slimier bodies?”
“Yes,” Steve nodded. “And sharper teeth.”
El looked up at her father. “He’s been bitten by the Fell-touched. They’re not all gone.”
Hopper looked grave. “I can send someone to check it out. Steve, where are you from?”
“Loch Nora,” said Steve. “I don’t understand.”
“When the Plane of Shadows, the Shadowfell, breached our plane, it slowly began to… take,” El began. “It started with animals, turning them monstrous and aggressive. They’re permanently transformed, what we call Fell-touched. Usually, when they attack humans, the humans don’t survive. The few that do end up like Steve. Transformed. Cursed. Fell-touched.”
“Is there any way to undo it?” asked Steve.
“Not fully,” El admitted. “But I can change it, prevent the worst effects, since they seem to have not yet come. Especially if Eddie is willing to help us.”
“What can I do?” asked Eddie, straightening up.
“If nothing is done, Steve is at risk of becoming more like what attacked him, and of losing his sentience,” said El. “At best, like a real bat without his real mind. At worst, more Fell. But a few things can be done to prevent that. There is a spell and potion that, combined, could help Steve keep his mind and his human lifespan. However, there is something else that, if you are willing, Eddie, can grant Steve two forms: to be a bat, but to sometimes appear in human form.”
“Anything,” said Eddie fervently, surprising Steve. “What do I have to do?”
“Familiars can take a human form when temporarily transferred enough power from their caster,” said El. “It does not last forever, but I have known people who have familiars that can spend an entire day in their human form. Robin does sometimes. There is a variant on the summoning a familiar spell, in which I can bind a willing creature and magically adept, creating a familiar-caster bond. But you must be sure, Eddie. A familiar is soul-bound. If he dies, you die, and vice versa. A familiar and their caster cannot be parted over a large distance for an extended time without dire consequences.”
“This is more binding than a marriage, kid,” said Hopper solemnly. “If you choose this, it’s forever.”
Eddie was silent and contemplative for a few minutes.
Then he grinned at Steve. “Whatcha think, you little stowaway? Wanna be stuck with me forever, Stevie?”
“It’s not the worst price for getting to be a part-time human,” said Steve fondly.
“We are in agreement, then?” asked El.
“Yes,” said Eddie and Steve.
“If you have plans for today that cannot be missed, I will have to wait until tomorrow to do the ritual,” El explained. “It is draining. Most want to go straight to sleep.”
“I have a show tonight, so we’ll do it tomorrow.”
🦇🎵
As it turned out, El was not exaggerating about the ritual. Steve and Eddie didn’t actually do much, mostly sat in magic rune circles and kept in physical contact, but the ritual pulled on Eddie’s magic, the energy of Steve’s curse, and both of their souls to form a bond, and El’s magic was employed to stabilize the ritual. Plus, before they even got started, Steve had to go through a cleansing ritual - which was basically a magical bath in this case, but apparently wasn’t so on-the-nose in all cases - and that had been quite the affair unto itself. But when everything had come to fruition, it was like their whole worlds shifted, merging. For one blinding moment, there was no him and me - just a singular us, we. In that moment, they were not separate entities. Both of their lives flashed before their eyes simultaneously, a jumble of mix-and-matched memories and sensory information, too much to process entirely. And then they were back in their bodies, reeling - and they could feel each other. It wasn’t like they could read each other’s minds, but suddenly they were very aware of each other, physically and a sort of feeling in the back of their heads, where they were catching impressions of emotions and passing thoughts. Steve was most surprised by the possessive, almost fierce feelings of mineminemineMineMINE that were coming from both of them but especially Eddie.
“The ritual is complete,” said El, sounding as exhausted as they felt. “You will need food and water and rest - as will I. Tomorrow, we can see if you yet have the ability to shift Steve to his human form.”
Neither of them had the energy or desire to argue with her. So, with the help of Chrissy and Robin, who had come upon Sir Hopper’s request (since someone should look out for Eddie and Steve, but Sir Hopper’s priority was naturally his daughter), the newly-bonded familiar-caster pair stumbled back to their room at the tavern. The ladies made sure a meal was properly delivered to Eddie and Steve, and offered a few pieces of advice while they waited for the food, but tactfully left as soon as they could, knowing that Steve and Eddie would need their privacy, at least initially.
They ate ravenously, their bodies trying to make up for the great deal of spent energy, but Eddie still took the time and care to literally hand-feed Steve in between his own bites. Once they had eaten their fill, however, it practically led to a food coma. But unlike their previous sleeping arrangements, Eddie slept on his back, holding Steve to his chest like a teddy bear, Steve as wrapped around Eddie as his little body could.
🦇🎵
They slept uninterrupted until morning, when they once again went over to El’s reception room. Observing El talk Eddie through the familiar human shift ritual was a bit nerve-wracking for Steve. While Steve had insecurities about what it would be like for Eddie to really meet him, his greatest fears had to do with the ritual going wrong somehow and it backfiring on them in a harmful way.
But whereas Steve used to be able to just keep all his negativity bottled up inside him and make everyone see the positive illusion that everything was perfectly fine on the outside, Steve could no longer hide from Eddie - he could literally read Steve like a book. What truly surprised Steve was the response - instead of invalidating Steve, he genuinely (if awkwardly, due to the newness of the bond powers) fed back reassurance, and confidence, and empathy, and something that felt eerily close to what Steve imagined love was like. So Steve figured that maybe he should give that ‘have faith in your caster’ advice Robin had mentioned yesterday a shot.
Still, he closed his eyes when he felt the magic wash over him. The best way Steve could describe the change was as a pleasure-pain: like cracking a joint, or stretching out stiff limbs, or a massage, or the push-pull of sex.
As it settled, Steve felt larger, but more telling was the gasps from everyone in the room: Eddie, El and Hopper, Chrissy and Robin who had shown up again in support, and even Argyle the shopkeeper who had nothing better to do.
Then there was a callused hand cupping his face. “Hey there. Stevie, wanna open your eyes just to make sure we brought back all your human parts?” Eddie asked jokingly, but with a loving tone.
His answer came in blinking his eyes open, and for the first time, Steve saw the world in a way he hadn’t for months.
Adjusting, he saw that Eddie had an almost - no, an actually awed look on his face. If Steve was reading him right, Eddie was impressed that he’d been able to pull off such an impressive magical act - but the awe was also for Steve himself.
“God, you’re beautiful,” said Eddie, still sounding blown away.
“Actually, I’m Steve, but beautiful’s a good name for me too,” Steve flirted with a wink.
Eddie threw back his head and cackled, hair cascading down his shoulders. “Should’ve known you’d be a charmer!”
“Oh? What gave it away?” Steve asked jokingly.
“Aside from your mastery of the pleading puppy eyes? And that you can consistently get people who claim to hate bats to coo over you?” said Eddie.
“Hey, the demon bats who attacked me are assholes, but regular bats get a bad rap for no reason,” said Steve. “I’m just proving there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“If you say so,” said Eddie, only then removing his warm palm. “You remember how standing works?”
“I was cursed, not an amnesiac,” said Steve as Eddie helped him to his feet.
Eddie hummed amusedly as Steve clung a little to Eddie’s hold on him as he rebalanced. As soon as he was steady on his feet, however, Steve turned and hugged El. “Thank you, El, sweetheart.”
“Welcome back, Steve,” said El, hugging Steve back.
After the hug, Steve turned around to take in the rest of the room, and saw that he appeared to be taller than about half the occupants. That amused him, and he didn’t say anything aloud, though he could tell that Eddie probably felt his amusement.
“Hi, Steve,” said Chrissy, smiling up at him. “Are you feeling okay? Not feeling faint? That’s a big sign your human time’s about to run out.”
“No, not feeling faint at all, thank you,” Steve replied. “I actually feel, like, reenergized? Like I could run forever.”
He only really processed that the light brunette that was standing with Chrissy was Robin in her own human form until she started rambling. “It’s great that you’re feeling good, I mean, it makes sense, like it does but it doesn’t, because you’d been a human your whole life so naturally this is the form you’re most comfortable in, and I’m happy for you, I just don’t get it because I’m usually a bird, truly a bird, and you humans experience so much, being a bird is so much easier-”
Steve’s attention was stolen by Eddie, who wrapped himself around Steve - probably just more new bond clinginess. “Is that what you want now, Steve? To run?”
“I want human food,” said Steve. “I don’t have anything against fruit, but like I want something else. Like a really good soup. Or steak and those roasted potatoes with the herbs. Oh, oh, or cake! Even just wine and cheese, god, anything sounds good.”
He felt Eddie’s laugh through his chest more than he heard it. “Sounds like my familiar needs a feast fit for a king. How can I object?”
🦇🎵
And so Steve did indeed have his feast, through everyone taking a trip to a local restaurant for lunch and ordering mostly different things so that Steve could take small samples from everyone’s plates.
After lunch, however, Steve and Eddie did go their separate way from the rest of the group. Instead, they headed for the woods near town, outside of the village of Hawkin but not straying far. Eddie joked that it was no run, but he coaxed Steve to walk with him instead. Amusingly, this was no peaceful walk - no, now that they could, Eddie wanted conversations, and Eddie wanted to ask Steve about all the things that Eddie had already given to Steve freely: everything from his favorite color to his opinion on music and stories to his family and childhood. Steve tried his best, but eventually, it did get overwhelming.
Perhaps Eddie felt that too, because he soon redirected them back to the inn room where they were staying.
“What else is on your first day as a human again list?” Eddie asked once they were back in the room.
“I know it’s going to cost you extra, so it’s okay if you say no, but I’d actually really love a bath,” Steve admitted.
“Paying for one bath won’t kill our finances, honey,” said Eddie, and the ‘our’ as if they were shared earnings was undeserved but flattering.
Steve didn’t move to change until after the hot water had been delivered. Even as he undressed, her couldn’t help but feel ashamed and embarrassed about the scars that he hadn’t really gotten the chance to examine before now. He may no longer have curse magic lingering, but the demon bats’ bites would remain forever as scars. They had really marked him up - practically disfiguring his body, if not his face - no one would want his body when it looked like this-
“Hey,” said Eddie compassionately, cutting through his thoughts. “I wasn’t lying when I told you you were beautiful. You’re so damn beautiful - all of you, always. On the inside and on the out.”
“I don’t get how you can say that,” said Steve. “I used to have the perfect body, and now-”
“You are, always were, and always will be beautiful, but there’s no such thing as the one perfect body,” said Eddie, interrupting. “I will love you in any form, whether you’re my dear little stowaway bat or the gorgeous human you were born as-”
“What if I got turned into a worm? Would you love me even if I was a worm?” asked Steve, needing to know the answer all of a sudden.
Though he stifled a giggle, Eddie replied seriously, “Yes, I would still love you if you were a worm. I would build you a little terrarium to keep you safe. And if you hated being a worm, I would find a way to turn you back, but it wouldn’t mean I’d stop loving you.”
Steve searched Eddie’s face and the bond, but he could feel no lie.
So Steve leaned in and kissed Eddie.
The kiss didn’t last long, and Steve pulled away when it was over, afraid he might have overstepped or Eddie had meant a different kind of love. But Eddie reeled him back in, instigating a longer kiss that had Steve melting into his arms.
After the kiss, Eddie looked besotted, but surprised. “How long have you been waiting to love me like that?”
“Too long,” said Steve, honest but holding back all at once.
“Will you let me love you?” said Eddie, pulling Steve to the bed.
“At last.”
🦇🎵
Later, after they bonded in a different way, they shared the bath while it was still hot, or at least warm. There was some actual washing of the hair and body, but then there was a lot more laying against each other and sharing lazy kisses than actual bathing.
For example, Steve was lying with his head on Eddie’s chest and his body between Eddie’s legs, when Eddie said, “So I know we went about this in a really strange order - we met, then you almost immediately moved in with me, then we more or less got married, then had our first kiss, and we just had sex for the first time - but would you allow me to take you on a date?”
Steve blinked. “Well, yeah, but you’re my caster, my one and only, practically your husband like you said, I’m kind of a sure thing.”
“It doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be courted and wooed,” Eddie argued.
“Courted, maybe, but you already wooed me,” said Steve. He yawned, then continued, “You take such good care of me.”
“And I always will, I promise,” said Eddie quietly.