Work Text:
Eddie had been having a bad week.
His chronic pain was like that sometimes, every joint in his body seeming to swell until even breathing was painful, leaving him stiff and sore and sleep deprived. Even after several years of this, the bad weeks still caught him off guard, as if his brain would wipe the intensity from his memory after the pain finally subsided.
And the pain made everything difficult. His stomach was in knots from it, making eating difficult and nauseating. He couldn’t sleep because finding a comfortable position was impossible. Working was absolute hell, and he often had to call out because getting out of bed left him in tears.
Steve was the only bright patch during these dark weeks.
It was like his entire world became Eddie during his bad spells, and he somehow knew exactly what Eddie needed without having to ask. He made soups, blending them thin enough that Eddie could drink from a straw if the idea of moving a spoon to his mouth was too much. He ran baths filled with epsom salts for Eddie to soak in, sitting on the closed lid of the toilet and keeping him company while he lay there.
The grumpier Eddie grew, the softer Steve became, and he never even flinched when Eddie would accidentally lash out at him. Eddie hated those moments the most, beating himself up the moment the sharp words would leave his lips, but Steve would just smile gently at him, kissing him on the top of head as he moved onto the next task in his mental to-do list.
Eddie didn’t know how he had gotten so lucky.
They were lying in bed together, Steve running his fingers through Eddie’s curls as he lay his head across Steve’s chest. The ache in his bones was distracting tonight, and he couldn’t stop shifting restlessly as his body throbbed. A soft whimper escaped when he moved wrong, his hip twinging aggressively and making his breath hitch.
Steve pulled him in closer, his grasp around Eddie strong, and Eddie found himself sinking into the touch, melting into Steve. He sighed wearily when Steve pressed his lips to his temple.
“I hate this,” Eddie admitted quietly, burrowing his face into Steve’s skin. He could feel Steve nodding above him.
“I know, baby.”
Eddie had to roll over then, his body begging him to change positions, but Steve followed him. He curled his body around Eddie’s back, spooning him and taking Eddie’s hand. He locked their fingers together, squeezing his hand, and Eddie reciprocated.
“I wish there was more I could do to help you. You know I’d do anything.”
Eddie shook his head. “You do plenty, Steve. Too much actually.”
He felt Steve shrug as he said, “It doesn’t feel like too much to me. I would move mountains for you if it would help.”
Eddie’s chest grew tight, his eyes burning as tears threatened to bead. He really didn’t deserve Steve’s devotion, but the proof was overwhelming in the best way. Because Steve wasn’t exaggerating, he knew that–Steve would do anything for Eddie, and he for Steve.
Suddenly, he perked up slightly, an idea popping into his head.
“There is one thing we could try,” Eddie said slowly, and he could practically feel the way Steve brightened at the words. He squeezed Eddie’s hand excitedly, silently waiting for Eddie to expand. “Giving myself another kind of pain to focus on might take the edge off.”
He tilted his head to look back at Steve, seeing if he was catching on. It didn’t appear so, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“We’ve got the paddle. I wonder if I could only focus on that, give my brain a break from all the rest of this shit.”
Steve had started nodding before Eddie had finished explaining, his eyes hopeful and animated.
“It’s worth a try, right?”
Eddie grinned up at him as Steve hopped from the bed. He pulled out their toy box from beneath the bed, rifling through it until he came across their paddle.
“Where do you want to be?”
Eddie thought about it for a minute, weighing his options as far as what would cause him the least amount of pain. Slowly, he crawled to the edge of the bed, letting his legs fall to the floor as he bent over the mattress. His back protested at first, but after taking several deep breaths he relaxed.
“I think this is my best bet.”
Steve ran his hand over Eddie’s back, his touch firm as he dragged it from Eddie’s neck to his ass. He playfully grinded his hips against Eddie once, making him chuckle into the comforter, before stepping to the side and running his hands over Eddie’s backside.
“I’m gonna start gently,” he said, his tone holding no space for arguments. Eddie didn’t mind; he liked a slow build up anyway.
Steve confirmed that he was ready once more before landing the paddle over his clothed ass. Despite the easy hit, Eddie jolted forward, his nerves alight with sensation. Steve rubbed his hand soothingly over him, cupping his ass before pulling away to land another blow, still nice and easy.
He began to speed his paddles up, taking up an almost meditative rhythm of hitting, rubbing, and repeating. Eddie’s eyelids fluttered as he sighed, his mind centered on the sensation Steve was giving him, the rest of his ailments fading into the background. He almost wept with relief.
“Do you want more?” Steve asked, running his hand back and forth over Eddie’s lower back, along the waistband of his sweatpants.
“Please don’t stop,” Eddie said, his voice colored with desperation, so much so that Steve hushed him softly.
Pulling down Eddie’s sweats, Steve helped him step out of them before pulling down his boxers as well.
“You’re already pink,” Steve said, smiling. Eddie shifted his hips side to side, silently begging for more.
He didn’t have to wait long, Steve landing the paddle squarely over his ass cheek and making him hiss between his teeth. It was so much more intense without the barrier of his clothing, but the sensation was so welcome after the week he’d had. Every thud sent a bone deep throb through his sore body, yet he sighed in relief each time.
There was a freedom in this, in having Steve give him more pain. Because Eddie was in control of this pain–he decided how much it was, how long it would last, when he would be done. This kind of pain was his choice , and it brought tears to his eyes how good it felt.
“Harder,” Eddie begged, and Steve obliged, bringing the paddle down more firmly and making Eddie let out a weak moan. It hurt so much, his legs shaking from it, but it made his soul sing. No other parts of his body could take charge over the deep, thudding blows that Steve was delivering.
His fingers clutched the bedspread as Steve let the paddle fall lower on his body. His thighs blossomed with pain when Steve slapped the meat of them, his knees buckling on impact. He nearly howled as he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, but still he begged for more.
After two more blows to his thighs, Steve paused, running his hands over Eddie’s sore body and checking in with him.
“How many more, baby?” he asked softly, his touch soothing away some of the ache the paddle brought. Eddie took a moment to mull the question over.
“Five,” he decided, nodding to himself as he answered. Steve smiled at him, leaning forward to kiss his cheek before straightening.
“How hard am I hitting?” he asked, running the paddle over Eddie’s ass.
“Two, as hard as you’re comfortable. Then three soft ones to finish.”
Steve nodded, pursing his lips for a moment as if checking in with himself, gauging how much he was willing to inflict upon Eddie. It was one of his favorite things about Steve when he took on a role like this; he was never more intentional, never more in tune with Eddie than the moments when he took the reins in the bedroom.
Without warning, Steve let the paddle crack down onto one of his ass cheeks. The sound reverberated through the room before the pain had a chance to take over, but when it did, it took over every ounce of Eddie’s awareness. His entire world centered to the burning ache that radiated through his body, moaning brokenly against the bed.
Steve didn’t give him much recovery time before he repeated the same motion on the other side. Eddie nearly ripped through the comforter with his desperate grip, his whole body trembling from the force of the impact. Tears wet the fabric beneath his face, and his breaths were coming in halted gasps.
A gentle hand stroked over his abused flesh, Steve murmuring soft praise to him as he touched him. He studied the side of Eddie’s face, his eyes tracing over his tear-stained cheek.
“Do you want to stop?” he asked softly, leaning forward to run his thumb along Eddie’s jaw. Eddie shook his head sharply.
“I still want the last three,” he confirmed, and Steve smiled at him.
“Anything for you, baby.”
The final three blows were soft, as Eddie requested, the blows doing more to exacerbate the previous ones as opposed to adding anything substantial to the pain radiating through him. Once he finished, Steve tossed the paddle to the side, gathering Eddie up and onto the bed on his belly, lying next to him.
Steve’s hands traced over his skin, ghosting over the bruises he knew would be forming. Eddie gritted his teeth, emotion welling up in him as he came down from the high, and Steve pulled him close, tossing an arm over his back. Their faces were only mere inches apart, breathing the same air, and Steve leaned forward to press a kiss to Eddie’s lips.
His touch calmed Eddie’s soul, the nervous restlessness he was feeling moments ago fading to nothingness as Steve held him. His body was still sore, but something about the added pain of his paddling had taken the edge off of the rest of it, making it more manageable. He felt more himself than he had in days.
“Thank you,” Eddie whispered hoarsely, and Steve smiled sweetly at him, cupping his cheek.
“Any time, Eds. Any time at all.”